CHAPTER 241: Villareal (1) - Barcelona (2) [analysis]

Alternative Title: Winter Champions

I only managed to watch the 2nd half of this game, thus the points I made below are based on watching Barça in their second half.

Positives

• Win obtained. Further 3 points plus for Barça added.
• Barcelona on an excellent winning roll. It’s the forth now!
• Beating Villareal and beating them at their homeground.
• And Barcelona have not emerge at El Madrigal for a quite a number of games.
• A comeback win. Always a positive point to be made.
• With this victory, Barcelona triumphs in the first round of the ‘Tourmalet’. Absolutely fantastic achievement by Pep and the Players! Big props indeed.
• Keita scored a decisive goal again, equalizing the score yet again. Good header too (quite identical to the one he scored against Getafe).
• Alves yet again provided the cross for Keita.
• Henry scored a winning goal. He’s adding up to his goal tally this season.
• Great cutting through by Xavi, and a very good pass to Henry resulting in the Frenchman’s goal.
• Barça equalized within a short period of time after Cani scored for Villareal.
• A big positive point to state here is that Barcelona hanged on for the win after Pique got sent off. After playing at Malaga under difficult circumstances regarding rain and wet, muddy pitch, in this game Barça triumphing in the adversity of having to play the game for a remaining period of time with just 10 men.
• Even though I would have liked and preferred if Real Madrid losing their game, but their victory over Valencia at least widen the gap between Barcelona and Valencia. Also, Sevilla’s draw at Mallorca was also another positive point, as they slipped up Barça is now 10 points clear! The Winter Champions!

Negatives

• A goal was conceded. The first goal conceded by Barcelona during the run of the Tourmalet.
• The manner that goal was conceded. Villareal were faster than the Barça defenders on this case.
• Pique’s dismissal.
• Xavi got a yellow card (in complaining to the ref regarding Pique’s sending off).
• Villareal themselves almost had their breakthroughs. One was when Franca at 85th minute and another by Nihat at the 91st minute.
• As of those chances that Villareal had (as written above), it seemed that Barcelona are showing tendencies of getting beat on the counterattacks of the opposition. Drenthe almost made it last week. Cani scored in this game.