Barcelona restored their four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with an entertaining victory over 10-man Villarreal.
2025/2026 La Liga
0-2
Match Report
An early Raphinha penalty and Lamine Yamal's second-half strike secured all three points for Hansi Flick's side at Estadio de la Ceramica.
The Blaugrana, who were without Andreas Christensen due to an ACL injury, broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes, as Raphinha sent Luiz Junior the wrong way from 12 yards after he was fouled by Santi Comesana.
Raphinha hit the bar shortly afterwards, before Villarreal thought they had equalised when Jules Kounde put through his own net, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men six minutes before the break, with Renato Veiga shown a straight red card for a rash two-footed challenge on Yamal.
Yamal doubled Barca's lead in the 63rd minute, sweeping home after Junior kept out substitute Robert Lewandowski's initial effort.
The visitors almost grabbed a third in stoppage time when Sergi Cardona cleared off the line to deny Marcus Rashford, but the two-goal advantage was enough to get Flick's side over the line.
169 - Barcelona have scored 169 goals in 60 matches in 2025 across all competitions. Only four times in their history have they scored more goals in a single year, all four during the Messi era: 180 in 2015, 175 in 2012, 174 in 2016 and 170 in 2011. Feast. pic.twitter.com/PCHCCf6w44
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 21, 2025
Data Debrief: Lewandowski hits landmark appearance
Barca are now unbeaten in each of their last 18 LaLiga away games against Villarreal (W14 D4), winning each of their most recent eight.
Lewandowski climbed off the bench to make his 500th appearance in the top five European leagues, making him the 10th striker to reach the landmark in the 21st century.
Raphinha became the first Blaugrana player to score, win a penalty, and hit the post in a single match in any competition since Luis Suarez against Real Madrid in October 2018.
And Flick's side have hit the woodwork 14 times in LaLiga this season, more than any other team in Europe's top five leagues.
Barca have scored 169 goals in 60 matches across all competitions in 2025, only netting more times in a calendar year on four occasions – 2015 (180), 2012 (175), 2016 (174) and 2011 (170).
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' Pepe receives a lofted pass and unleashes a header which sails narrowly wide
6' Ayoze Perez has a shot blocked by Kounde from inside the box
8' Ayoze Perez hits a shot towards the bottom right corner, but it's saved
12' GOAL! Raphinha makes no mistake and scores the penalty! Villarreal 0-1 Barcelona
16' Raphinha shoots from the edge of the box, but it crashes against the crossbar!
16' Kounde is forced to net an OG but the Villarreal player is ruled OFFSIDE
24' Buchanan latches on to a cross, but his strike goes a few inches wide
31' Yamal unleashes a shot and it goes narrowly over the crossbar
33' Nicolas Pepe is flagged for offside after sending his shot high over the bar
34' Nicolas Pepe delivers a low pass into the box which is intercepted
35' Buchanan's shot deflects off Joan Garcia and Cubarsi clears the ball
39' RED CARD! Renato Veiga is sent off because of his terrible tackle on Yamal!
55' Fermín plays a pass into the box, but Luiz Jr reacts well to block the attack
61' Lewy and Rashford on, Ferran and Fermin off
63' GOAL! Yamal unleashes a great effort into the net! Villarreal 0-2 Barcelona
65' Mikautadze is down in the box but the ref takes no action
68' Joan Garcia is interfered while taking the goal kick
68' Rafa Marin takes a shot but Joan Garcia makes a brilliant save to deny him
76' Mikautadze stikes low drive to the left post, but it is saved by Joan Garcia
Line-ups
Villarreal XI: Parejo, Ayoze Perez, Pepe, Santi Comesaña, Sergi Cardona, Buchanan, Rafa Marín, Alberto Moleiro, Luiz Júnior, Renato Veiga, Pau Navarro
Subs: G. Moreno, Manor Solomon, Arnau Tenas, Adrià Altimira, Georges Mikautadze, Tani Oluwaseyi, Jean Ives Valou, Alassane Diatta, Carlos Macià
Barcelona XI: De Jong, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Kounde, Eric Garcia, Joan García, Balde, Fermín López, Yamal, Gerard Martín, Cubarsi
Subs: Szczesny, Lewandowski, Ter Stegen, Rashford, Casado, Roony Bardghji, Dro Fernández, Bernal, Tommy Marqués