RAPHINHA struck twice to propel Barcelona to a 3-0 Champions League win over visitors Aston Villa on Tuesday, ending the English side’s perfect start to the competition.

Five-time winners Barcelona took an early lead through Lamine Yamal before Raphinha continued his fine goalscoring form with a second-half brace.

Barca bounced back after defeat by champions Paris Saint-Germain in their previous European outing to stay in the hunt for a top eight league phase berth.

Raphinha

Unai Emery’s Villa competed well in the first half but were eventually undone by Barca’s greater ability in the final third.

The Champions League anthem was not played before the game, as a mark of respect for Tenerife striker Jesus De Miguel, who died on Tuesday morning after an on-pitch collision in a Spanish second division match the previous day, provoking shock across the football world.

Villa captain John McGinn had only visited the Camp Nou once previously, on a summer holiday as an eight-year-old, and might have expected better weather than the downpour both teams were subjected to.

The skipper might also have expected a more focused start, with Villa handing Barcelona the lead in the seventh minute.

The Spanish champions pressed Aston Villa extremely high and Joao Gomes played a poor pass straight to Yamal in his own box. The 19-year-old winger gladly took the gift and stroked past Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Main Photo: Wikipedia/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphinha

#latestmalaysia