First Division - Day 17

Villarreal 1 - Barcelona 1

Villarreal: Sergio Asenjo; Mario, Musacchio (Álvaro González 87’), Víctor Ruiz, Jaume Costa; Jonathan Dos Santos, Bruno, Manu Trigueros, Roberto Soriano (Rodri 83’); Sansone, Alexandre Pato (Samu Castillejo 76’). 4-4-2.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Mascherano, Digne (Arda Turan 71’); André Gomes (Denis Suárez 68‘), Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar. 4-3-3.

Goals:
1-0. 50. Sansone. Picked up Pato pass and struck angled shot past Ter Stegen.
1-1. 90. Messi. Curled free kick over defensive wall in to far top corner of net.

Yellow cards: Jaume Costa 70’, 94’, Sansone 78’, Sergi Roberto 78’, Piqué 83’ / red cards: Jaume Costa 94’.

Barcelona drop behind Sevilla to third in the table after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Villarreal’s newly named Ceramica stadium in the last match on Sunday. Both sides had chances in the first half, Sergio Asenjo having to save from Iniesta, Neymar and Luis Suárez early on, and Jonathan Dos Santos replying with a volley just over the top. Ter Stegen had to keep out Sansone, and Asenjo tipped a header from Messi over the bar shortly before the break. Some five minutes in to the second half however Sansone opened the scoring with an angled shot past Ter Stegen and in off the far post. Later in the second half referee Iglesias Villanueva turned down three penalty appeals for hand ball , two by Bruno and one by Mascherano, Messi fired a shot against the post, and with the game coming to an end Messi saved a point for Luis Enrique’s side with an impressive free kick into the far top corner of the net.