Raphinha Brace Fires Barcelona to 3-0 Champions League Win Over Aston Villa

Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 at home in the Champions League on Tuesday. Lamine Yamal gave the hosts an early lead before Raphinha scored twice in the second half.

The defeat ended Aston Villa's perfect start to the competition. Five-time winners Barcelona bounced back from defeat to holders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their previous European outing to stay in the hunt for a top-eight league phase berth.

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

Barcelona took the lead in the seventh minute. Under intense pressing from the hosts, Joao Gomes played a poor pass straight to Yamal in his own box, and the 19-year-old winger stroked the ball past Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Villa responded in the first half. Matty Cash had a fierce drive deflected narrowly wide, Joao Cancelo blocked an effort from Gomes, and Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia was quick off his line to beat Nicolas Jackson to a dangerous through-ball. Suzuki saved from Anthony Gordon, while Garcia was called into action again by Johan Manzambi.

Barcelona extended their lead early in the second half. Fermin Lopez fed Raphinha, who showed quick footwork before finding the bottom corner.

Cancelo powered a strike narrowly over before setting up the third with a superb cross with the outside of his boot. Raphinha pounced from close range for his 19th goal of the season across all competitions, having made the number nine position his own this season.

Yamal sent a shot skidding wide as Barcelona probed for a fourth. It did not come, but the Catalan side recorded a first Champions League clean sheet in 19 games.

After the match, Raphinha dedicated the win to the fans and sent a message of strength to the family of Jesus de Miguel, saying such a thing can happen to anyone and that it is very tough.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Bayern Munich beat Atletico Madrid in Madrid with second-half goals from Lennart Karl and Konrad Laimer, PSG set a record as the fastest team to score four goals in a Champions League match on their way to a 6-0 win over Villarreal, and Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice in quick succession.