Three talking points from Barcelona 3-0 Villarreal

Barcelona did not have many positive takeaways in recent games. Xavi’s men had been far from their best and the match against Villarreal was seen as a serious threat to their pursuit of the La Liga title.

However, what unfolded when the two teams met at Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday was a one-sided game. Unai Emery’s men fell apart in the first half, conceding three goals in eight minutes and giving the hosts all three points. 

Robert Lewandowski and Ansu Fati were the scorers on the night, but the win was only possible because of an all-round performance. Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Thursday’s game.

1. The resurgence of Frenkie de Jong

After a string of poor performances, Xavi decided to start Sergio Busquets on the bench against Villarreal. In the Spaniard’s place, the manager placed Frenkie de Jong as the pivot midfielder with Gavi and Pedri alongside him, and the decision reaped fine rewards.

The Dutch international has largely played the role of an advanced midfielder during his spell at Barcelona. Though initially viewed as a direct replacement for Busquets, it soon became increasingly clear that the defensive midfield was not his forte.

Yet, when deployed as the pivot yesterday, de Jong did not seem to break a sweat. He held his deep position with discipline and did exactly what was expected of him – anchoring the team.

In 70 minutes, he had close to 100 touches and was involved in almost every buildup. His distribution and accuracy on the night with impeccable as he finished with a pass completion rate of 95%.

He won all ten duels that he attempted and also had a 100% dribble completion rate. Further, he also recorded fine successful tackles and an interception against Villarreal. 

The former Ajax player rightfully received a standing ovation from Spotify Camp Nou when he was taken off. His newfound success at in the pivot position comes as big news for Xavi and opens new doors for de Jong’s continuity at the club.

2. Lewandowski’s return to form

After a run of subpar performances in the last few games, Lewandowski once again stole the show on Thursday night. He scored twice in five minutes to break Villarreal’s mental state and virtually win Barcelona the game.

The striker needed just three shots to record his name twice on the scorecard and it was his lethal finishing that laid the foundation for his team’s win.

His first goal of the night came at the half-hour mark through a well-worked individual effort. Receiving the ball from Jordi Alba, one deft pullback was all he needed to get the better of three Villarreal defenders. He then calmly slotted the ball past Geronimo Rulli.

Just minutes later, he scored a banger from outside the box. He took one deft touch after receiving Gavi’s pass and slammed an unstoppable shot.

The Pole’s form is critical to Barcelona’s success for the team have no backup striker as a Plan B. His return to form comes as big news to both the manager and team alike and could be a sign of good days to come.

3. An invaluable result

Even the best teams in the world need one good result to turn around their fortune. From that point on, one can safely say that the domino effect will take over and inculcate the winning mentality.

Barcelona were on a downward spiral since the last international break. Losing close to six key players in the two-week hiatus, Xavi’s side saw a shaky restart to club football with nervy wins.

As they derailed further, they lost against Inter Milan at San Siro before walking away with an underwhelming draw in the reverse fixture. The loss in El Clasico saw them hit rock bottom.

Under such difficult circumstances, the team needed one push to get back on track. The win over Villarreal could prove to be just that.

For starters, the Catalans not only won but demolished Unai Emery’s side at Camp Nou. The defence which looked shaky without Ronald Araujo showed that they could hold their own without the Uruguayan. Further, the midfield saw a new trio who gelled together sweetly and provided Xavi with a tempting option for the games to come.

Finally, the rotated forward line made a statement of intent and ability. While Lewandowski returned to his goal-scoring form, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres showed the manager that they are no inferior to Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha.

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