FC Barcelona 3-0 Aston Villa: result and report

The Pundit picked FC Barcelona (58%): correct

Report

FC Barcelona were expected to beat Aston Villa at home, and the 3-0 win matched that expectation. The performance behind it was just as one-sided as the scoreline, so this was a deserved win rather than a flattering one.

Lamine Yamal scored in the seventh minute, and Aston Villa stayed within one goal until early in the second half. He scored the first on 52 minutes from Fermín López's pass and the second on 64 minutes from João Cancelo's assist.

The chance numbers show why the margin was fair. FC Barcelona finished with 2.18 xG to Aston Villa's 0.82. They took 13 shots to five, put eight on target to Villa's one and created five big chances to one. The home side also built far more sustained pressure across the match, which fits with their 65% possession.

The main point is that FC Barcelona's win came from the volume and quality of their chances, not from a lucky spell of finishing. Their three goals were slightly more than their xG, though the gap is small. They also missed three big chances, while Aston Villa's goalkeeper had to make five saves. The game could easily have finished with a similar margin even if a couple of those moments had gone differently.

Aston Villa's best moment was a shot that hit the woodwork, so the score could have looked a little different at one point. Even so, that near miss was close to their only threat. They managed one shot on target all game, and FC Barcelona needed to make just one save.