Barca look for one more goal. Dembele's caught offside from Roberto's throughball first. Messi's tugged over by Estupinan but the free-kick's too far out to shoot from directly. Barca keep the ball instead and secure the win!
90' +3
Óscar Mingueza gets yellow.
Mingueza picks up a late yellow card for some unscrupulous defending.
90' +1
Parejo swings in the corner. Foyth flicks it on to Gaspar who fires over from the right of the box. Barca still need to be careful for these final few minutes.
90'
There'll be five more minutes of this. Pique concedes a corner for Villarreal.
89'
Yeremy Pino enters the game and replaces S. Chukwueze.
Mario Gaspar enters the game and replaces Raúl Albiol.
Albiol also heads off. Villarreal's captain Gaspar gets a late runout.
Chukwueze's game is over too. Yeremy comes on for Villarreal.
88'
R. Araujo enters the game and replaces Sergio Busquets.
Barca, meanwhile, make a change. Araujo will shore up their defence. Busquets makes way.
86'
Chukwueze earns Villarreal a free-kick down their right as Moriba impedes his progress. Parejo swings it in and Gerard's ambitious overhead kick doesn't have enough heart to test ter Stegen.
85'
Villarreal are still pushing forward in search of an equaliser but they're leaving more gaps behind them. Alba is called offside.
82'
Sergio Busquets gets yellow.
Busquets is booked for blocking the path of Chukwueze in Villarreal's half.
81'
Villarreal force a corner down their left. It doesn't lead to much as ter Stegen punches clear and they concede a free-kick shortly after.
Minute
Description
80'
O. Dembélé enters the game and replaces A. Griezmann.
Griezmann will have to settle for just the two goals here. Dembele comes on for him.
79'
Barca look perfectly happy to wind the clock down and see the win out. They're about to make another change.
76'
Moi Gómez enters the game and replaces É. Capoue.
Villarreal substitution. The attacking midfielder Gomez replaces Capoue.
75'
Barca try to calm things down, making Villarreal's 10 men chase the ball for a while. Busquets overhits a pass wide though and Villarreal get a goal-kick.
74'
Pau Torres gets yellow.
Torres is the next Villarreal player to receive a card for shoving Messi to the ground. Messi had beaten him down Barca's right and was heading for the penalty area.
72'
Moriba arrives into the six-yard box from the left and cuts back onto his right foot to shoot. Torres arrives on the scene to block it.
70'
To their credit Villarreal still look to have some fight in them. Estupinan fires towards the bottom left corner from range. ter Stegen keeps it out without much difficulty.
68'
The Barca substitute Moriba latches onto a pass in the box and booms an effort over the crossbar.
67'
Thankfully Messi has got back to his feet. That situation could have been much worse. Villarreal are going to find it even more difficult to turn this game around now they're down to 10 men.
66'
Raúl Albiol gets yellow.
Albiol's booked for protesting the referee's decision to send Trigueros off. It's an easy decision though. Trigueros had to go.
65'
Manu Trigueros goes off after a red card!
RED CARD FOR TRIGUEROS! The Villarreal midfielder slides in wildly on Messi, catching the Barca captain on the shin. It's a nasty challenge, a potential leg-breaker, and Messi looks to be in some discomfort. Trigueros can have no complaints.
64'
I. Moriba enters the game and replaces Pedri.
Koeman makes another substitution. Moriba replaces Pedri in central midfield.
63'
Barca get this corner away comfortably. Villarreal may have picked up this half but they're hardly peppering Barca's goal yet.
60'
F. Coquelin enters the game and replaces Paco Alcácer.
P. Estupiñán enters the game and replaces Alberto Moreno.
Alcacer makes way first. Coquelin will come on to give Villarreal greater control in midfield.
Villarreal's left-back Moreno is next to go. Estupinan comes on for him, a like-for-like replacement.
59'
Busquets loses an aerial challenge and requires some treatment. Villarreal are going to make changes anyway.
57'
Barca's attacking threat has blunted somewhat since half-time but is still present. Griezmann flicks a shot wide from Roberto's cross, then Messi dribbles through the centre and fires over from the edge of the box.
55'
Barca clear the corner at the first attempt. Villarreal still have the ball though and Alcacer's cutback is cut out. Barca eventually get a free-kick which eases the pressure on them.
53'
Villarreal are playing more proactively now. Alcacer gets loose in the Barca box and Barca intercept to concede a corner.
51'
From the free-kick Chukwueze crosses from the right. He finds the head of Gerard whose header isn't powerful enough to worry ter Stegen in the Barca goal.
50'
A. Griezmann gets yellow.
Griezmann receives the game's first yellow card for taking out Gerard. Villarreal try to take the free-kick quickly but the referee calls them back.
48'
Chukwueze takes a tumble as Alba cuts across the Nigerian. Chukwueze is winded but soon looks fine to continue.
47'
Lenglet wins a free-kick as Foyth accidentally treads on the Barca defender's foot.
We're back underway for the second half.
46'
Sergi Roberto enters the game and replaces S. Dest.
Barca make a change at half-time. Roberto replaces Dest. It must be injury-related.
45'
HALF-TIME: VILLARREAL 1-2 BARCELONA
Pedri wriggles into the penalty area and passes to de Jong. de Jong scoops an effort at Asenjo but the Dutchman's offside anyway. That's all for now.
42'
Barca will be content with how this first half has gone. By and large they've had control of the game without having to work too hard.
40'
Alcacer faces the wrath of the linesman's flag as he accidentally controls a pass in the middle of the box with his hand.
38'
Villarreal get a free-kick in the centre of the pitch. Parejo sends it towards the left-hand post and Torres' header loops to ter Stegen.
37'
After being in the lead just 10 minutes ago Villarreal now find themselves chasing the game. Emery must be seething.
35'
A. Griezmann has scored a goal for Barcelona!
GOAL! VILLARREAL 1-2 BARCELONA! Griezmann grabs his second from an awful backpass! Foyth is not paying attention and rolls the ball casually back towards Asenjo. Griezmann races straight onto it and finishes first-time past the stranded keeper. That's a laughable error from Foyth.
34'
Messi slaloms around the edge of the box but finds his options limited. Barca circulate the ball a little more and Alba's cross from the left is blocked.
32'
Barca resume their previous dominance. Chukwueze is overeager in closing down Lenglet and gives away a foul.
28'
A. Griezmann has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by Óscar Mingueza.
Mingueza's awareness there was great but Villarreal's defenders were too high up the pitch. Their advantage has vanished in a matter of seconds.
GOAL! VILLARREAL 1-1 BARCELONA! Griezmann pegs back Villarreal immediately with a sumptuous finish! Mingueza spots the Frenchman's run and picks him out. Asenjo ventures wide to close Griezmann down only for the forward to dink the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.
26'
S. Chukwueze has scored a goal for Villarreal! Assist by Pau Torres.
Torres' pass for that goal was fantastic, a curling one that took several Barca players out of the game. Villarreal now have something to build on.
GOAL! VILLARREAL 1-0 BARCELONA! Out of nowhere Villarreal strike! Barca commit too many players upfield and Torres looks for Chukwueze with a defence-splitting pass. The Nigerian darts onto the end of it, rounds ter Stegen and taps in from a tight angle.
25'
Alba races in behind after a ball over the top from Lenglet. The Barca wing-back is just offside though.
23'
Messi plays a round-the-corner pass for Dest to send the American running into the box. Asenjo senses the danger and rushes wide to smother the chance.
22'
Chukwueze is penalised for steaming into the back of de Jong. Barca are biding their time.
20'
Villarreal come on the attack now. Alcacer wriggles down the left and flashes a cross into the penalty area but no one in Villarreal yellow is close to it. It ends up bouncing out for a Barca throw-in.
18'
Barca are starting to get into gear. Messi races onto a throughball to lash an effort straight at Asenjo at his near post. Asenjo manages to keep it out.
12'
Barca are starting to settle down in possession with their 3-5-2 formation. Alba fires in a cross from the left and de Jong keeps it alive. Dest's snap shot is blocked, as is Busquets' follow-up from further out. Villarreal manage to clear it but they've got nowhere to go.
10'
Dest's caught offside from Mingueza's ball over the top.
8'
Parejo nips at Messi and ends up conceding a free-kick. Messi steps up to take it but can only hit the defensive wall.
7'
Chukwueze rushes down the left and cuts back for Gerard who's bursting into the box. Gerard can't keep his effort down.
6'
Villarreal see Barca's corner out fairly comfortably. It's been a fairly even start to this game.
3'
Moreno jinks forward down the left and plays the ball off Dest for Villarreal's first corner of the game. The delivery finds Gerard at the far post who powers a header over.
1'
The referee blows his whistle and Villarreal get this one underway!
Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this LaLiga match between Villarreal and Barcelona at Estadio de la Ceramica.
Villarreal's hopes of returning to Europe next season have been slightly dented lately. Unai Emery's Europa League semi-finalists have lost two of their last three league games, and three of their last four at La Ceramica after going unbeaten in their previous 11 here this season. They'll be keen to end this wobble quickly with Real Sociedad and Real Betis ready to capitalise on any further slip-ups.
VILLARREAL (4-4-2): Sergio Asenjo; Juan Foyth, Raul Albiol (c), Pau Torres, Alberto Moreno; Samuel Chukwueze, Etienne Capoue, Daniel Parejo, Manu Trigueros; Gerard Moreno, Paco Alcacer.
SUBS: Moi Gomez, Jaume Costa, Pervis Estupinan, Fernando Nino, Yeremi Pino, Geronimo Rulli. Ramiro Funes Mori, Mario Gaspar, Carlos Bacca, Alfonso Pedraza, Alex Baena, Francis Coquelin.
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Oscar Mingueza, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Sergino Dest, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong; Lionel Messi (c), Antoine Griezmann, Pedri.
The two teams are out on the pitch here in Villarreal. Villarreal are wearing their distinctive all-yellow home kit. Barca are in their professional black away garb.
Barca's title challenge continues next week as they host Granada, while Villarreal welcome Arsenal for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. Barca may have come out on top here, but both teams could be celebrating come the end of the season. That's all for now. Goodbye!
Unfortunately for Villarreal their visitors this game are Barcelona who rose to third in LaLiga with a 5-2 thumping of Getafe midweek. Ronald Koeman's men are in imposing form having won 43 out of 48 points on offer in 2021, more than any other LaLiga team so far this year. Barca are undoubtedly back in the title mix.
Commentary
More…