Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 as Suzuki denies Gordon again

Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 in a match defined by a fast start and a key intervention from Suzuki against Gordon. The goalkeeper turned away a dangerous shot from the forward after Barcelona won possession, preventing another goal, according to the match account. Aston Villa had also nearly capitalised on a later Suzuki mistake, with Gordon involved in the move, Mundo Deportivo reported.

Barcelona took the initiative from the opening seconds: after Aston Villa kicked off, Lamine Yamal committed a foul before ten seconds had passed. In the seventh minute, he won the ball inside the penalty area, beat his marker and shot towards the far post. This time, the move ended in a goal. Barcelona were intent on settling the contest quickly, unlike in their meeting with Real Madrid, Mundo Deportivo’s account noted.

The win takes Barcelona to nine points from 12 in the league phase. That tally gives the team a strong chance of finishing among the top eight, who will avoid an extra tie at the end of winter. The match also ended a troubling defensive run: Mundo Deportivo noted that Flick’s side had conceded at least once in 18 consecutive European matches.

Barcelona took clear control after the break. Raphinha scored twice, following Lamine Yamal’s goal, to complete the 3-0 win and give the club another European clean sheet. Joan Garcia also made two outstanding saves when the defence came under pressure. Lamine Yamal was named player of the match.

Prince Henry and his son watched from the stands at Camp Nou in the rain. Mundo Deportivo noted that no British club had won at Camp Nou or Montjuïc over two decades. The same outlet described 3-0 as the most frequent score among Hansi Flick’s 101 wins with Barcelona.