VILLARREAL, Castellón. – FC Barcelona closed the year with a solid 2-0 victory against Villarreal in a match corresponding to LaLiga EA Sports, thanks to goals from Raphinha, from a penalty, and young Lamine Yamal, in a duel marked by the expulsion of local Renato Veiga before halftime.
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The match started with great intensity and numerous controversial actions. At 12 minutes, the referee signaled a penalty in favor of the azulgrana team, which Raphinha converted with certainty to open the scoring. Shortly after, Villarreal saw a goal by Jules Koundé disallowed, while in the 39th minute Renato Veiga was sent off after a hard tackle on Lamine Yamal. In the second half, Barcelona took advantage of their numerical superiority to take possession of the ball and trap their rival in their own field. Goalkeeper Luiz Júnior prevented the second goal on several occasions, but could do nothing in the 63rd minute, when Lamine Yamal scored the 0-2 that sealed the match. The victory allows Barcelona to consolidate its lead in the competition with 46 points, closing the year with an advantage over its main pursuers. Villarreal, for its part, suffered its first home defeat of the season and remains in fourth position with 35 units. The negative note for the Catalan team was the injury of Jules Koundé, which forced a defensive restructuring in the final stretch of the match.
