ants four points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-0 win at 10-man Villarreal.
Brazil international Raphinha won and converted an early penalty on Sunday before Villarreal’s Renato Veiga was sent off before half-time for a late lunge on teenager Yamal.
The 18-year-old slotted home Barca’s second midway through the second half, as Hansi Flick’s side restored their advantage on Real Madrid, who are second, and won an eighth consecutive league game.
Villarreal are fourth after Atletico Madrid moved ahead of them with a 3-0 win at Girona earlier on.
Flick launched into an impassioned defence of Raphinha on Saturday after he was not included in FIFA’s ‘The Best’ team of the year earlier in the week, and the winger quickly repaid his coach.
Raphinha produced an all-action display at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica, where the match was played instead of in Miami, after La Liga’s plans to take this game to the United States were scrapped in October.
Barca were poor defensively and struggled in their build-up play, but the quality of wingers Raphinha and Yamal and their goalkeeper Joan Garcia’s outstanding performance decided an entertaining encounter.
Jules Kounde blocked Villarreal striker Ayoze Perez’s shot before Raphinha drew a foul from Santi Comesana to win a penalty at the other end.
The winger dispatched it confidently and nearly added the second with a superb effort from distance, which crashed back off the bar.
