Raphinha double gives Barcelona 3-0 Champions League win over Aston Villa

Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, with two goals from Raphinha following Lamine Yamal’s early opener. The Guardian reported that Yamal scored after seven minutes and Raphinha added both his goals after the interval, leaving Villa unable to turn their opportunities into a response.

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Villa arrived with three Champions League wins, against Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Viking, according to BBC Sport. The defeat left them on nine points, while Barcelona moved above them into second place in the league-phase standings. Emery had approached the visit as a measure of his side’s progress against the Spanish league leaders.

Yamal put Barcelona ahead with a left-footed finish into the far corner. Villa responded by forcing corners, and Johan Manzambi shot wide following work by Nicolas Jackson. Manzambi also shot at Joan García in the 33rd minute. At the other end, Zion Suzuki saved from Anthony Gordon after Barcelona disrupted Villa’s attempt to pass out from defence.

The hosts doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute. Pedri advanced through midfield and supplied Raphinha, whose shot was deflected on its way in. Emery made three substitutions around the hour, but Barcelona scored again when João Cancelo delivered a low cross with the outside of his right foot for Raphinha to finish. The Guardian put the Brazilian’s season total at 19 goals in 13 Barcelona appearances.

Speaking after the match, Emery acknowledged that Villa still needed to improve to reach Barcelona’s level, BBC Sport reported. He pointed to chances his players had created and called for better finishing, while accepting the result despite feeling the margin was harsh. He also declined to blame João Gomes for the misplaced pass that preceded Yamal’s opener, saying his side had overcome such mistakes before.

Villa captain John McGinn told TNT Sports that Barcelona had chosen the right moments to act and punished the visitors with their goals. He nevertheless maintained that Villa could compete with opponents of this standard. BBC Sport reported that Villa’s next assignment is a visit to Manchester United on Sunday, following a European setback after their three opening victories.