Unai Emery celebrated his 55th birthday on a miserable night in Barcelona, but his team handed a gift to the wrong person. One of the worst things a player can do in world football, particularly inside their own area, is to pass the ball square to Lamine Yamal. Yet after just seven minutes, Joao Gomes panicked and did exactly that, gifting the ball to the teenager with stardust in his boots.
On a night where travelling fans got drenched in the stands, Villa still gave a decent account of themselves despite being undone by second-half goals from Raphinha. Newcastle fell to pieces in a 7-2 loss here eight months ago, but Villa are made of much stronger stuff. To be disappointed with a three-goal loss against the La Liga champions shows you exactly the progress Aston Villa are making under Emery.
How Lamine Yamal and Defensive Errors Cost Aston Villa
The Nou Camp remains a work in progress and it is still a building site outside, with the roof not due to be in place until next season. Everyone got soaked in the stands, with the exception of Prince William in the posh seats. Those who turned up did not have long to cheer before a suicidal bit of defending undone all their early tactical planning.
Keeper Zion Suzuki, who had also gifted Fulham a goal on the preceding Saturday, played a risky short pass to Gomes who had Pedri breathing down his neck. Gomes lost his composure and played that pass straight to Yamal, who would not have believed his luck. Even though Pau Torres was standing in front of him, Yamal had no trouble bending his shot into the left corner.
You would have expected Villa to avoid doing anything similar, but they could not deal with Barcelona's aggressive press. It was extraordinary that Suzuki once again passed to Gomes under pressure from Pedri and the exact same sequence happened. Villa lost possession, though on this occasion Suzuki redeemed himself to make a save and keep out Anthony Gordon's shot.
Yamal Makes History and Raphinha Seals the Win
Although he did not have to click into top gear, Yamal, despite taking a knock from Emi Buendia, was a joy to watch throughout the contest. It is now 14 goals in the Champions League for Yamal, the most ever scored by a teenager, putting him one ahead of Kylian Mbappe. He might have been beaten to the Ballon d'Or by Harry Kane the previous week, but Yamal is going to win the award on a few occasions.
He gave Villa right-back Ian Maatsen a difficult night, including the odd nutmeg which is never a great look for a defender. Fans will once again see the Spanish star close up on November 15 when England visit the Metropolitano in Madrid in the Nations League.
Barca scored their second seven minutes into the second half to truly take the game away from the visitors. Fermin Lopez played the ball into Raphinha just inside the area, and the Brazilian was helped by a deflection on his strike. Raphinha's second goal, and Barcelona's third overall, was a display of pure class.
Aston Villa Show Resilience Despite Defeat
Joao Cancelo had too much power for John McGinn in a physical challenge that also struck the Scotsman in the face. Cancelo jogged down the left wing and then played a delicious pass with the outside of his right boot for Raphinha to ghost past Torres and tuck the ball past Suzuki. Unbelievably, Suzuki kept playing those silly passes out of defence, and Barca were handed another chance, although the Villa keeper kept out a subsequent shot from Fermin Lopez.
In fairness to Villa, they refused to let their heads drop and had plenty of chances to level the score at various points. Matty Cash had a decent strike deflected for a corner, and Johan Manzambi had a couple of chances, scuffing one shot wide while hitting the second straight at Joan Garcia. Jackson also had a shot deflected for a corner when Villa attacked in a three versus two situation.
Leon Goretzka later sent a header from a corner onto the outside of the post. A goal was the least Villa deserved for their attacking efforts on a tough evening in Catalonia.
What the Result Means for Villa's Champions League Hopes
Despite the scoreline, Villa remain in a brilliant Champions League position, something their fans could not have dreamed of a few years ago. With three wins under their belt, they still look certain to reach the play-offs. They could even still finish in the top eight to earn that automatic pass straight into the last 16.
Villa will now go to Manchester United this weekend expecting to win in domestic action. The only worry for Villa supporters is if United come calling for their manager, but right now, there is no way he would want to leave. Emery would be utterly bonkers to walk away from the project he is building in the Midlands.
