Stylish display brushesdoubts aside (1-4)

Barca turned on the style
at Villarreal to beat their
hosts 1-4 and put behind
any doubts that might
have lingered from the
European KO. Barca will
lead the table going into
the final three games
thanks to goals tonight
from Messi(2), Xavi and
Bojan.
Any doubts about
Guardiola ’s team’s ability to
bounce back from the Inter
defeat were brushed aside by
a champions display to see
off the in-form Villarreal
with some magisterial
football, particularly in the
first half when Messi, Xavi
and Bojan all scored. The
home team got a consolation
goal in the second, but Messi
was again on target to put
aside any hopes of a
comeback. This was a team
true to its style and heritage
and Barca ’s starting line up
included a total of eight
players who ’d come through
La Masia and all four goals
were scored by home grown
players.
Lively start
In a lively opening, both
teams showed their attacking
intentions and Xavi, Messi
and Puyol all had good
chances in the first ten
minutes, as did Nilmar on
two occasions for Villarreal.
The football was flowing,
with not a foul committed till
almost the quarter hour
mark and Barca were able to
impose their style on the
game. On 18 minutes, Bojan
won a ball and laid it back to
Xavi who played a trademark
killer pass to Messi for the
Argentinean aided by a slight
deflection from a defender,
to strike home from an acute
angle.
0-3 at the break
The goal confirmed Barca’s
dominance and Xavi was at
the heart of it all, so it was
fitting that he claimed the
second, striking home a
wonderful free kick over the
defensive wall and past the
flailing Diego Lopez. The
third was another excellent
effort, as Bojan out-smarted
and out-sprinted his marker
Gonzalo and fired low past
the keeper to send the team
in 0-3 up.
Villarreal reaction snuffed
out
Villarreal made two changes
at half time and came out
determined to put up what
they could of a fight. Barca ’s
answer was to maintain
possession and take the sting
out of their hosts ’ attempts
to fight back. When Llorente
managed to pull a goal back
on 67 minutes, Messi almost
came back with an
immediate reply, shooting
just wide, but Barca never
really looked under pressure
and their biggest fright came
when the ref appeared to
show Busquets a second
yellow as he went off to be
subbed, which was in fact for
Llorente.
Messi gets his second
The game was only going one
way and when Messi did
make it four with his second,
exquisitely rounding off a
typical team move on 87
minutes, it just confirmed
Barca’s superiority
throughout, the three points
and another week at the top.