Barcelona 3-2 Villarreal as it happened

1. Villarreal twice take the lead
2. Barca four points off leaders Real Madrid
3. Visitors in Champions League contention
4. #bbceurofooty

Good night

Thanks for joining us today for that cracking game. Now I'm off home to pretend I understand what's happening in the Super Bowl before getting bored halfway through and going to bed.

SCORE FROM EUROPE

Monaco drew 0-0 with Ligue 1 leaders Lyon, who are now only two points clear of Marseille and Paris St-Germain.

THE GAME IN NUMBERS

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Madan: Most entertaining game of the season! Absolute insanity at times.

So what does that mean?

Well Barcelona are now within a point of leaders Real Madrid (albeit having played a game more).

Villarreal's 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions is over.

And Barcelona have now won eight in a row since losing to David Moyes's Real Sociedad.

FULL-TIME

A wonderful game. Maybe not at the end as it drifted out a bit but great win for Barcelona.

INJURY TIME

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Three minutes added on.

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Ibn Askar Ali: Suarez come back where you're more appreciated son #ynwa

SUBSTITUTION

Final change for the Yellow Submarine, as Nigeria's Ikechukwu Uche replaces Giovani dos Santos.

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Dan Brewer: Barca sacrifice other players to feed Messi and to be fair it's worked for them. Fabregas, Toure, Sanchez but most noticeably Zlatan

SUBSTITUTION

Barcelona goalscorer Rafinha, the brother of Thiago, comes off with a nose injury and he's replaced by Ivan Rakitic.

SUBSTITUTION

Villarreal make a second change as Jonathan dos Santos, a former Barcelona youngster, comes off for Moi Gomez.

Luciano Vietto heads well over from Jonathan dos Santos's left-wing free-kick - Villarreal aren't going to get too many more chances today.

EUROPEAN UPDATE

Reuters

AC Milan have beaten Parma 3-1; Monaco are 0-0 with leaders Lyon with 12 minutes left in the French league.

SUBSTITUTION

EPA

No goal for Luis Suarez tonight, although he had a hand in a couple of their goals. Old reliable Pedro comes on.

Denis Cheryshev heads wide for Villarreal but it never felt like it was going to drop in. Their first half-chance in a while.

SUBSTITUTION

Villarreal make a midfield change as Manu Trigueros replaces Tomas Pina. You sense their momentum has gone a bit.

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Callum: That Messi goal deserves more recognition but because he does it week in week out, we all see it as 'normal'.

SUBSTITUTION

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Barcelona bring on centre-back Jeremy Mathieu for defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets. Javier Mascherano will move into that midfield role with Mathieu slotting it at the back.

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David Grey, Liverpool fan in London: Liverpool nearly won the Premier League by always giving the ball to Luis Suarez. Barca seem very reluctant to pass to him. And take a free-kick? No chance. Wasting him.

Anon: At least Suarez appears to be behaving better. Maybe it's different ethics and values.

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Obynoch: Anytime the opposition have ball on counter there are usually two or three yellow jerseys in Barca 18-yard box. I'm loving this game.

Football writer Iain Macintosh on Twitter: This Barcelona - Villarreal game is like a really tightly edited highlight package. But for every minute of the second half.

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Barbuwa Kalla: La Liga at its best. Simply the best.

A frankly ridiculous few seconds at the Nou Camp. This has been an epic match.

WHAT A MISS!

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It's all happening here! Luis Suarez heads wide from about six yards out.

PENALTY APPEAL

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Neymar chips the ball over Villarreal keeper Sergio Asenjo, who seems to bring him down. No penalty. But no idea why.

DISALLOWED GOAL

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Victor Ruiz thinks he's levelled for Villarreal with an acrobatic volley from close range but he was offside.

Italian Serie A

AC Milan have just made it 3-1 against Parma with Cristian Zaccardo firing home a rebound into an empty net. Twelve minutes left the San Siro.

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Small deed: Three goals in less than five minutess. This is what football is all about

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Lionel Messi goes on a great run, not sure we see as many long-range dribbles from him as we used to, and squares it to Neymar, whose shot is just off target.

Villarreal are the first team to score more than one goal at the Nou Camp in any competition this season. Of course it'll be in vain as things stand.

So, that escalated quickly.

GOAL

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Guys, give me a chance to write about something other than a goal. Luis Suarez plays the ball across to Lionel Messi who curls the ball into the top corner with his right foot.

A ridiculous match.

GOAL

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Rafinha, a bit of a surprise selection in Barcelona's midfield, blasts home after Lionel Messi's header was blocked by a defender. What a game.

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GOAL

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Wow. Villarreal lead again. Barcelona defender Gerard Pique loses the ball on the halfway line, Giovani dos Santos - against his former club - runs 40 yards into the box, draws Pique and keeper Claudio Bravo to him and then squares it to Luciano Vietto who scores from eight yards out.

Barcelona right-back Dani Alves attempts another ambitious volley that flies well off target. Hasn't scored for his club since March...

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Jason M Bailey: Barcelona winning this 5-1

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The ball breaks for Luis Suarez in the box but he slips just as he's working out his options. Most of the first two minutes of the second half have been in Villarreal's half.

KICK-OFF

The Barcelona boys get the second half going.

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James - on a chilly train to Sheffield: In reply to Luke (43 mins), nobody else at Barca will see ever be a star whilst Lionel Messi is THE star. Not necessarily a bad thing for Barca as he's the best that's ever lived, But fact all the same.

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Phantom2448: Defensive issues again for Barca, although they should really try to take their chances,

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Elsewhere in Europe, Monaco are drawing 0-0 with French league leaders Lyon at half-time.

AC Milan have just taken a 2-1 lead against Parma 10 minutes into the second half - Jeremy Menez notching his second.

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Dan the Gooner: Suarez looking completely lost in this Barcelona team

AP

Another managerial appointment today, say Paulo Wanchope named Costa Rica boss after a spell in caretaker charge.

The former Derby County maverick was assistant to Jorge Luis Pinto at the World Cup.

All change at Forest

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A bit of managerial news for you while this live text has been running.

Nottingham Forest have sacked one former player who underachieved in his last club managerial job with a Manchester club and replaced him with another.

Out goes Stuart Pearce, in comes Dougie Freedman.

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Madan Roka: Neymar taking a super advantage and as always converting to a goal

Gabriel Bobson: ‏Denis Cheryshev really needs to settle down rather than being a loanee every season, nice player indeed!

STORY OF THE FIRST HALF

BBC

Bitterly disappointing for Villarreal, although the stats tell us that Barcelona had most of that ball and the chances in the first half.

HALF-TIME

And that's what they call mig-temps in Catalonia unless Google Translate has trolled me.

GOAL

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Lionel Messi plays the ball to Rafinha, whose shot is saved by Sergio Asenjo but the ball lands to Neymar's feet and he puts it in from eight yards.

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Toniwater: (re 20:09) Yes they are weak at the back & that goal showed how all over the place the back four are! Carles Puyol hasn't been replaced!

Villarreal have another chance on goal but Luciano Vietto's header is easily saved - and held - by keeper Claudio Bravo. I wonder if Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is pondering changes at half-time.

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Luke: Suarez decent before joining Barca, Sanchez a star, Toure a star, Fabregas a star, who or what at Barca is destroying talent?

Or maybe it's easier to be a star in the Premier League...

Reuters

Barcelona haven't created loads since Villarreal's goal. The visitors must be fancying their chances of a 19th game in all competitions unbeaten now - although obviously still a long time to go.

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SportsGar: Irrespective of whether Villarreal win or lose, Denis Cheryshev is a great player. If can't play for Real, a move on the cards?

You'd imagine so, he's yet to make a league appearance for them at the age of 24 and spent last season on loan at Sevilla.

EPA

Lionel Messi chips across a free-kick which Dani Alves takes on a first-time volley but it's blazed well over. Would have been a wonder-goal.

I was initially going to describe it as almost delicious, but it wasn't almost anything.

By the way, Denis Cheryshev is on loan at Villarreal from Real Madrid, who will remain four points clear of the Catalans - with a game in hand - if this stays the same.

GOAL

AFP

It's almost Villarreal's first attack of the game and it's a goal. The ball breaks to defender Mario Gaspar on the edge of the box and he totally snatches at it, it's a woeful shot, but it falls to Denis Cheryshev, who turns it into the net from 16 yards out.

Shock on the cards.

Dani Alves puts in a cross from the right which Villarreal keeper Sergio Asenjo does well to punch away from a group of Barcelona players ready to score.

Asenjo has been the best player on the pitch so far I reckon

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Luis Suarez is not very goaly (goally? I'm not sure how to spell my made-up word) at the moment. This time the ball lands to him 16 yards out and he whips it in just inches wide of the post.

That's his fourth scoring chance so far, including the one he tried to square to Neymar.

AFP

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Lionel Messi plays a ball over the top and Andres Iniesta is ready to poke it home only for Villarreal keeper Sergio Asenjo to come out and claim it.

This game hasn't really gotten going yet.

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Rabin: Dare I say, Suarez would be a great team player in Arsenal.

GOOD SAVE!

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Barcelona striker Luis Suarez curls the ball from the edge of the area, after Dani Alves pulls the ball across to him. It looks like it's bound for the back of the net but Sergio Asenjo dives to tip it around the post. Solid save from the Villarreal keeper.

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A Coaching Story: (re 20:00) Weak at the back? Conceded nine goals in La Liga all season!

EPA

Andres Iniesta slips the ball into Luis Suarez, who tries to square it to Neymar instead of shooting and gets the ball wrong. Goal-kick.

A win for Villarreal today would take them to within a point of the Champions League places. Sevilla now occupy fourth spot after their win over Espanyol in the last 30 minutes.

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Barcelona win a corner after nice skill from Lionel Messi and Neymar, the ball is whipped in and Luis Suarez sort of hooks it wide from eight yards - the ball was behind him so no blame attached.

Gerard Pique pings in a cross for Barcelona, standard behaviour for a centre-back obviously, which is deflected and Villarreal keeper Sergio Asenjo panics for a second as he doesn't know where it's going. It was harmless enough in the end.

KICK-OFF

Barcelona tracksuits off in time for kick-off, Villarreal get us going.

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John McEnerney: Barcelona are weak at the back & will be exposed by good sides, up front they're grand, still not found their right shape! Home win!

Players are out of the tunnel now. Barcelona players still wearing their tracksuits. Guys, you'd want to be getting ready - game starts in a minute.

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We asked on our Facebook page if you think Barcelona can close the gap on Real Madrid under a picture of Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Veronica Chapman: Goodness gracious you three alone can beat Villarreal.....

Sebeo Thespecialone Mphaka: I can't wait to see them losing

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Dave Wood: Your team line-ups for Barcelona v Villarreal on the website already give the attendance?

Just be lucky we didn't tell you the final score (it's 4-1 to Barcelona by the way)

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Sevilla have beaten Espanyol 3-2 in a fantastic game, there's been a 40-yard goal, a goalkeeper sent off, two keepers coming off the bench and a late Iago Aspas winner.

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IAGO ASPAS HAS DONE A GOAL - the man on loan from Liverpool has fired home what looks like a winner for Sevilla against 10-man Espanyol after being found in space at the edge of the box - it's 3-2 now with 90 seconds left.

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Oscar Harman: Messi's form will be crucial, in deciding Barcelona's league position. When he plays bad (by his standard) the team suffer.

BBC

LINE-UPS

Villarreal have finally named their substitutes - no place for Arsenal loanee Joel Campbell. Can't see any reason he wouldn't be eligible since he played in the Spanish cup in midweek.

BBC

BBC

Woof. Ten-man Espanyol have made it 2-2 against Sevilla with Victor Sanchez playing a one-two with an opposition defender and then curling an effort into the top corner from 18 yards out. There are 12 minutes left in Seville.

Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu confirmed the long-reported rumours that boss Luis Enrique and Lionel Messi had a training ground falling-out this week to French radio.

During his pre-match news conference, Barca captain Xavi - who is on the bench today - said: "It's all quite understandable, it's no big deal. From within the group, we give it the importance it deserves, which is zero.

"It happened and it's history. And I'm sure it will happen again. You have to treat it with the importance it deserves: zero."

BBC

There are a couple of other matches going on this evening, that we'll try to bring you updates for. Monaco are playing leaders Lyon in Ligue 1 at 20:00 GMT, and underachieving AC Milan are facing Parma at 19:45 in Serie A.

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Tom Holmes: Barca are more than capable of closing the gap on Real Madrid. There's no crisis.

We'll turn our attentions back to La Liga now after that nice little virtual trip across Europe, and Liverpool legend Iago Aspas has just hit the woodwork for Sevilla, who lead Espanyol with 20 minutes left.

Belgian Pro League

Nigerian teenager Moses Simon (brilliant middle name of Daddy-Ajala) scored a hat-trick today for Gent in their 3-3 Belgian league draw at Lokeren.

It was only his third league appearance for the club following his transfer window move from Slovakian side Trencin.

Unfortunately the only picture our agencies have sent over was of Killian Overmeir scoring Lokeren's second goal so here it is...

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Dutch Eredivisie

Ajax are nine points behind Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven after losing 1-0 at mid-table Vitesse.

Vitesse's Uros Djurdjevic scored a fantastic goal, chesting the ball, flicking it past a defender and smashing home in the closing minutes.

Frank de Boer has won the title in each of his four years as Ajax boss.

The Amsterdam side, who faced 25 shots - a record under De Boer in the league, have now lost three Eredivisie games this season, as many as they did in 2013-14.

German Bundesliga

EPA

Franco Di Santo scored two good goals - the second an acrobatic volley - as Werder Bremen beat relegation rivals Hertha Berlin 2-0 in the Bundesliga.

Champions League chasers Augsburg beat Hoffenheim 3-1 in the snow in the day's other match. They moved level on points with third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach with the win.

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Italian Serie A

Reuters

Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini admits his team are a bit "fragile" after suffering a 3-1 defeat at Sassuolo.

Inter won 7-0 when the sides met in the autumn, and beat them by the same scoreline in last season's away game.

"The team is clearly a bit fragile as we suffer at the first sign of difficulty," Mancini said.

"We commit too many mistakes. Nothing's going right for us at the moment, so we need to improve.

"Sometimes there can be discord between the fans and the team, but I hope we can sort that out because we need our supporters," former Manchester City boss Mancini added.

Italian Serie A

EPA

Juventus missed the chance to extend their Serie A lead as they were held to an uneventful 0-0 draw at Udinese.

The visitors failed to muster many clear-cut chances but remain top by seven points after Roma were held to a 1-1 home draw by Empoli on Saturday.

Juve's city rivals Torino recorded the biggest Serie A win of the weekend as a Fabio Quagliarella hat-trick helped them beat Sampdoria 5-1.

Napoli kept up the pressure on the top two as they won 2-1 at Chievo while fourth-placed Lazio were beaten 2-1 at second-bottom Cesena.

There have been quite a few European matches today, as you'd expect for a Sunday so here's the headlines...

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Do you think the Barcelona crisis is over or have recent results just papered over the cracks? Was there even a crisis really?

Can Barca come back to beat Real Madrid to the title?

Have your say on Twitter, using #bbceurofooty, text 81111 (UK only and let us know your name) or have your say over on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

So Barcelona start with the three lads (as they're probably not called) up front - Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. Ivan Ratikitic is on the bench with Rafinha starting in midfield.

Villarreal forward Giovani dos Santos starts against his former club. The Yellow Submarine are yet to reveal their bench, so we don't know if new signing Joel Campbell, on loan from Arsenal, is involved at all.

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Spanish La Liga

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Sevilla are currently playing Espanyol, we're early in the second half there.

It was a fairly quiet first half, with only three goals and a sending off.

Christian Stuani gave Espanyol the lead but Diogo Figueiras'a 40-yard strike and Vitolo put Sevilla in front. The Catalans are down to 10 men though as keeper Kiko Casilla was sent off late in the first half for handball outside his box.

For good measure Sevilla changed their keeper at half-time so all four keepers have had a go today.

LINE-UPS

Barcelona: Bravo, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Rafinha, Neymar, Suarez, Messi. Subs: Ter Stegen, Adriano, Mathieu, Sergi Roberto, Xavi, Rakitic, Pedro.

Villarreal: Asenjo, Mario, Musacchio, V Ruiz, J Costa, Bruno, Pina, Jona dos Santos, Cheryshev, Vietto, Giovani. Subs to follow.

Since losing 1-0 to David Moyes's Real Sociedad on 4 January, they have won all seven matches - scoring 26 and conceding three.

Spanish champions Atletico Madrid have been dispatched three times (twice in the cup), Elche have been beaten 6-0, 5-0 and 4-0 (twice in the cup) and Deportivo have also been beaten 4-0.

I think most of us would settle for a crisis at our clubs, if that was the end result.

It's funny what a crisis does to a club.

A head coach under pressure after reportedly falling out with the club's best player. Said player reportedly considering his future.

Presidential elections called and club legends leaving their upstairs roles.

Losing a game to a David Moyes side.

But since it all came to a head in early January, Barcelona have come back in style.