FC Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal (Matchday 11 La Liga 2010/2011)

Barça overcame Villarreal in a thrilling game at the Nou Camp. Villa rounded off a furious Barça start with a goal on 21 minutes, but the visitors hit back 5 minutes later, following a controversial off side decision which had denied Barça a second.

Barça’s courage and good football saw them through against the in-form Villarreal in a game with three clear phases: first a marvellous 25 minute period at the start of the game crowned by Villa’s goal, next Villarreal fought back and got the draw and then for the rest of the match, a monologue of football from the champions with two Messi strikes.

Whirlwind start

It was a whirlwind start from Guardiola’s team whose pace and passing were superb as they pinned Villarreal back in their box and it needed a great save from Diego Alves on 13 minutes from a point blank Messi shot to keep the visitors in the game. On 21 minutes though, Villa gave Barça the lead as he brilliantly rounded off a lethal counter attack to fire past the keeper.

From 2-0 to 1-1

Barça should have been two up soon after when Messi and Pedro sprung the offside trap only for the linesman to inexplicably flag them off and deny them the goal. In the very next phase of play and with a number of Barça players clearly still amazed at the ref’s previous decision, Nilmar waltzed through the Barça defence and brought Villarreal back into the match. The goal seemed to have shaken Barça and their followed a few minutes of danger from the visitors.

Xavi and Pedro set up Messi

The players soon put their grumbles about the ref behind them though and the half time saw them again dominating before the teams went off to a display of disapproving hanky waving for the match officials from the crowd. Barça came out after the break in the same way they had the first and they got a deserved second when a quick free kick from Xavi was sent to Messi who played a lovely one-two with Pedro before chipping past Diego Lopez.

Crowd get plenty to celebrate

The crowd were celebrating their team’s great football now as Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi dictated play from midfield. Keita came on for Villa to give a bit more muscle in the last 15 minutes and the defence snuffed out any hint of a Villarreal comeback. With six minutes left on the clock, Messi again met a Pedro cross and made it 3-1 to do justice to an all round performance of the highest calibre from Guardiola’s team who go top with the win with Madrid not playing till tomorrow.

Barcelona – Villarreal 3-1 (1-1)
1-0 David Villa 22′
1-1 Nilmar 27′
2-1 Messi 59′
3-1 Messi 84′

Barcelona: Valdés; Alves, Puyol, Abidal, Maxwell (Adriano, min.85); Sergio Busquets, Xavi (Mascherano, min.89), Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Villa (Keita, min.71).

Villarreal: Diego López; Ángel, Musacchio, Marchena, Capdevila; Bruno, Borja Valero (Jefferson Montero, min.77) Cazorla; Cani (Senna, min.70), Nilmar, Rossi (Rubén, min.84).

Goals

Villa 22' (assist by Iniesta)	1 - 0
	1 - 1	26' Nilmar (assist by Capdevila)
L. Messi 58' (assist by Pedro)	2 - 1
L. Messi 83'	3 - 1

Lineups

#	Player	Bookings
1	Victor Valdés
5	Puyol
22	E. Abidal	35'
2	Dani Alves
19	Maxwell	68'
8	Iniesta
6	Xavi
16	Busquets
10	L. Messi	58' 83'
7	Villa	22'
17	Pedro
Coach: Josep Guardiola

#	Player	Bookings
13	Diego López
5	Marchena
6	Ángel López	73'
4	M. Musacchio
11	Capdevila
10	Cani
8	Cazorla
20	Borja Valero	45'
21	Bruno
22	G. Rossi
7	Nilmar	26'
Coach: J. Garrido

Substitutes

#	Player	Bookings
15	S. Keita for Villa 72'
21	Adriano for Maxwell 85'
14	J. Mascherano for Xavi 89'
26	Andreu Fontàs
9	Bojan
13	Pinto
30	Thiago Alcántara

#	Player	Bookings
19	Senna for Cani 70'	90'
23	J. Montero for Borja Valero 78'
9	M. Rubén for G. Rossi 84'
15	Catalá
2	Gonzalo
12	J. Altidore
25	Juan Carlos

Additional info

Referee:

C. Delgado Ferreiro

Assistants:

A. Rios Pérez
Ramon Hernandez

Fourth official:

S. Ripoll Solano