FC Barcelona found itself in dire straits in La Liga after a shock 2-0 loss at newly-promoted Granada last weekend. Ninth in the domestic competition after five matches, they seemed adrift and needed a win to set their ship back on course.
They got that after beating Villarreal 2-1 at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night.
Barcelona capitalized on two early goals by Antoine Griezmann and Arthur Melo to find a 2-0 lead after only 15 minutes that they would not relinquish.
Griezmann’s goal was a work of art, as the French forward artfully angled his head towards the net on a Leo Messi corner kick in the 6th minute.
Messi was substituted out at halftime in his return to the starting lineup, a possibly troubling development considering their star player’s recent health troubles.
The Brazilian midfielder doubled the Cule’s lead after only nine more minutes, scoring a brilliant strike from long-distance that surprised Sergio Asenjo in Villarreal’s net.
While Santi Cazorla was able to get a goal back for the Yellow Submarine thanks to a brilliant goal of his own, they were unable to draw even in the second half and left as the game’s losers.
Barcelona now finds itself in fourth place in La Liga. They might not look perfect, but they feel more comfortable than they did after the weekend loss.
