Barcelona recorded an emphatic 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, with Brazilian forward Raphinha scoring twice at the Spotify Camp Nou.
The hosts took an early lead in the seventh minute after Lamine Yamal capitalised on a defensive error by Aston Villa.
The teenager intercepted a misplaced pass inside the penalty area before beating goalkeeper Zion Suzuki with a composed finish into the bottom-left corner.
Aston Villa struggled to contain Barcelona’s attacking pressure, although the visitors had opportunities to respond.
Barcelona, however, maintained their advantage until the interval, with Raphinha receiving a yellow card shortly before half-time.
The Catalan side doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Raphinha’s effort took a deflection and found the bottom-right corner.
The Brazilian completed his brace 12 minutes later, converting a low cross from Joao Cancelo following an impressive attacking move.
Barcelona dominated proceedings, recording 65 per cent possession and eight shots on target compared to Aston Villa’s one.
Despite the visitors winning more corners, they failed to make their opportunities count against the Spanish side.
The victory moves Barcelona above Aston Villa into second place in the Champions League standings, while the English club suffered their first defeat of the league phase.
Raphinha was named man of the match after his two-goal performance.
Barcelona will next travel to face Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday, while Aston Villa are scheduled to visit Manchester United in the Premier League.
