Dembele double edges Barca closer to unbeaten season

Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Villarreal 5 – 1 on Wednesday and edged closer to their first ever unbeaten season in La Liga .
Lionel Messi volleyed in a sumptuous pass from Andres Iniesta at Camp Nou to put Barca three up at half – time after Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho had scored one apiece in the first 16 minutes .

The second period , however , belonged to Dembele , who capped an excellent individual display with two goals after the Frenchman’ s sensational run had also earlier set up Coutinho .

Villarreal managed a consolation when Pablo Fornals ’ shot deflected in off Nicola Sansone but any fears Ernesto Valverde ’ s side would feel the effects of Sunday ’ s ‘ Clasico ’ proved unfounded .

The league leaders moved 15 points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top while Villarreal stay sixth .

Barca drew last weekend against Real Madrid , despite playing the entire second half with 10 men , and they now need only avoid defeat in matches away at Levante and home to Real Sociedad to complete the campaign as invincibles .

It would be the first time a team has finished a 38 – game La Liga season unbeaten and the first in any format since Real avoided defeat in a division of only 10 teams in 1932 .

Already crowned champions and winners of the Copa del Rey, Barca were controversially denied a guard of honour by Real but Villarreal were happy to perform the ‘ pasillo ’ as the hosts walked out before kick- off .

Valverde left some key players out , with Marc – Andre ter Stegen , Luis Suarez , Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic all missing from the starting line – up .

Messi , however , was included despite calls for the Argentinian now to be rested ahead of this summer ’ s World Cup.

It meant a start for Dembele , who took his chance to impress with the stand -out performance of the night .

Dembele has endured a difficult debut season since joining for 147 million euros from Borussia Dortmund last year but Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said this week he is not for sale , and the 20 – year -old delivered the perfect response .

His run that set up Coutinho ’ s opener in the 11 th minute was arguably the moment of the match as he picked up the ball 10 yards inside Villarreal ’ s half before driving past three defenders and unleashing a shot .

Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo palmed the ball away but only to Coutinho , who was left with a tap -in .

Paulinho doubled Barca ’ s lead five minutes later after a brilliant Iniesta pass allowed Lucas Digne to slide the ball across goal . Paulinho finished at the back post .

Iniesta was at the heart of the home side ’ s third too, this time a chipped ball playing in the darting Messi , who side – footed home on the volley.

Villarreal pulled one back after half – time when Fornals ’ shot clipped the shoulder of Sansone to wrong- foot Jasper Cillessen .

But Dembele grabbed a late brace , his first an easy finish after a brilliant run by Rakitic down the right , his second coming after he sped away from Villarreal ’ s defence , and lifted the ball over the helpess Asenjo .

AFP

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