Barcelona extended their winning streak to seven matches in all competitions with a 2–0 victory away to Villarreal, a result that ensured the Catalans remain top of LaLiga at Christmas.

In a fixture traditionally associated with attacking football, the tempo was set immediately. Barcelona won a corner inside the opening minute, which Villarreal cleared before almost catching the visitors out on the counter, Nicolas Pépé heading narrowly wide.

Barcelona soon asserted control of possession, but it was Villarreal who fashioned the first clear openings. Defensive errors from Gerard Martín and Pau Cubarsí gifted Ayoze Pérez two quick opportunities, though the forward was unable to convert either.

The end-to-end nature of the contest continued, and Barcelona struck first in the very next attack. Santi Comesaña brought down Raphinha inside the area, and the Brazilian stepped up to dispatch the resulting penalty confidently, sending Luiz Júnior the wrong way.

Raphinha went close to doubling the lead soon after, curling a long-range effort against the crossbar. Jules Koundé then inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, but Villarreal were spared as the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up.

Villarreal enjoyed a strong spell as the half wore on. Tajon Buchanan’s spectacular volley drifted inches wide, and Alejandro Balde’s misplaced back pass presented Buchanan with another opening, only for the Canadian to fail to find the finish.

The hosts’ task became significantly harder just before half-time when Renato Veiga was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Lamine Yamal.

As expected, Barcelona began the second half on the front foot, though clear-cut chances were initially hard to come by. Their attacking intent left space at the back, allowing Villarreal to threaten sporadically despite their numerical disadvantage.

Fermín López tested Luiz Júnior as the hour mark approached, and moments later Barcelona doubled their lead. Lamine Yamal reacted quickest in a chaotic goalmouth scramble to poke the ball home and give the visitors breathing space.

Villarreal pushed for a route back into the contest and had two penalty appeals waved away. Shortly after, Joan García produced a remarkable point-blank save from Sergi Cardona, a moment that effectively preserved Barcelona’s advantage.

The goalkeeper went on to deny Villarreal on two further occasions late on, ensuring Barcelona claimed all three points and extended their remarkable run of scoring in consecutive matches to 38 — their longest streak since 2013.

For Villarreal, the defeat extended a frustrating trend, as they have now gone 17 home games without a victory over Barcelona (D4, L13) and sit 11 points adrift of the league leaders.