Raphinha double powers Barcelona past Aston Villa in Champions League

Barcelona defeated Aston Villa 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, using an early goal from Lamine Yamal and a second-half double by Raphinha to end the English side’s perfect start in the competition. Sky Sports said the victory lifted Barcelona to second in the standings. The match began with a tribute to Jesús de Miguel, a Tenerife striker who died on Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest following an on-pitch collision in a Spanish second-division match the previous day.

Al Jazeera reported that the Champions League anthem was not played before kick-off, while The Guardian said stadiums across Europe observed silence in his memory. Barcelona took the lead in the seventh minute after their high press forced a mistake. Joao Gomes played a poor pass inside his own area and Yamal collected it before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Villa recovered from the early setback and created opportunities, but Barcelona’s pressure continued to disrupt their attempts to build from the back. The visitors threatened through Matty Cash, whose drive was deflected narrowly wide, and Anthony Gordon, who forced a save from Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Garcia also came quickly off his line to deny Nicolas Jackson and later dealt with an effort from Johan Manzambi as Villa sought an equaliser.

Barcelona doubled their advantage early in the second half. Fermin Lopez found Raphinha, who used quick footwork before placing his shot into the bottom corner. The Brazilian then added a third after Joao Cancelo delivered a cross with the outside of his boot, allowing Raphinha to finish from close range.

The second goal was Raphinha’s 18th or 19th of the season across all competitions depending on the report’s phrasing; Al Jazeera described it as his 19th, while The Guardian said his two goals continued a highly productive start. The supplied accounts agree that his brace was decisive and that Barcelona completed their first Champions League clean sheet in 19 games. Villa manager Unai Emery acknowledged the gap between the sides while defending his team’s wider campaign.

The Guardian quoted him as saying Villa had “nine points” and were competing strongly in the Champions League, but needed to be more ruthless in the final third. He also said the 3-0 scoreline may have been harsher than Villa deserved. The result followed Barcelona’s defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in their previous European match and kept them in contention for a top-eight league-phase position.

Villa, meanwhile, left Camp Nou with a reminder of the demands at the highest level, despite competing more evenly during parts of the first half. Other Tuesday results underlined the strength of the evening’s Champions League programme. PSG beat Villarreal 6-0 after scoring four times within 17 minutes, Bayern Munich defeated Atlético Madrid, Manchester United overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Roma 3-2, and Inter Milan beat Feyenoord 3-0.

Barcelona’s own response was more controlled: an early breakthrough, sustained pressure and Raphinha’s finishing settled the contest.