Barcelona cemented their grip on the La Liga title race with a 2–0 away victory over Villarreal on Sunday, extending their winning streak and moving further clear at the top of the table. The win at the Estadio de la Cerámica leaves Barcelona four points ahead of Real Madrid after 18 matches.
The visitors took control early in the contest, with Raphinha converting a first-half penalty after Villarreal were reduced to 10 men following a straight red card for Veiga. Barcelona dominated possession and tempo after the dismissal, forcing the home side to retreat and defend deep for long spells.
Teenage star Lamine Yamal sealed the result in the second half with a composed finish, continuing his impressive run of form and underlining Barcelona’s attacking depth. Villarreal, despite making several changes and pushing forward late on, struggled to create clear chances against a disciplined Barcelona defence.
The result drops Villarreal to fourth place, though they still have two games in hand, while Barcelona head into the new year in strong position, having recorded eight consecutive league wins and reinforcing their status as early favourites for the Spanish title.
