Villarreal 0-2 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points

#4 Ballon d'Or or no Ballon d'Or, Messi does his business

Villarreal v FC Barcelona - Spanish Primera Division

Lionel Messi was the saviour again for Barcelona as he produced a stunning display at the Estadio de la Ceramica. He tested Asenjo with a brilliant free kick in the 22nd minute and proved to be a constant threat for Javi Calleja's side.

Messi nearly punished Villarreal late in the first half but his shot went just wide of the upright. Messi's influence on the game steadily increased in the second-half, and he started dictating the play. He created a lot of opportunities in the second-half and the Barcelona goal looked inevitable.

He started the attack that led to Suarez's goal in the 72nd-minute and wrapped the game up in the 83rd minute, dancing past Ruiz and Alvaro to put the ball in the back of the net. Another solid display from the Argentine.

Lionel Messi's stats:

Goals - 1

Key Passes - 3

Shots - 6

Dribbles - 7

Total Passes - 86