Barcelona has already clinched the LaLiga title. Lionel Messi and his cohorts are unbeaten in league play and in the process of one of the greatest LaLiga campaigns ever. So it makes sense Barça opponents are paying homage to the Catalan club in the final matches of the season. The reverence shown in the Villarreal guard of honor on Wednesday was a fine example of sportsmanship at its best. Though the Yellow Submarine may regret honoring Andres Iniesta, who torched them in the match that followed, a 5-1 win for Barcelona.
Barcelona hosted Villarreal on Wednesday with three matches left in the season. The home side only has pride to play for, trying to remain without loss for the entirety of the 38-match season. Villarreal can’t catch Valencia for the final Champions League berth and is almost ensured of a spot in the Europa League, so the Yellow Submarine didn’t have much to play for either.
So the match was in essence a chance for the visitors to honor the LaLiga champions. It started with the Villarreal guard of honor before the match.
Thank you, @VillarrealCF! #FairPlay pic.twitter.com/1mQl48kvtR
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 9, 2018
Well played, Villarreal.
In addition to the wonderful Villarreal guard of honor, the club paid homage to the career of Andres Iniesta, the Barcelona legend who will leave the club at the end of the season, most likely heading to China.
The club known as the El Submarino Amarillo gave Iniesta a ceramic yellow submarine to honor the midfielder.
.@Eng_Villarreal presented @andresiniesta8 with a ceramic Yellow Submarine in recognition of his career and his values as a sportsman! #BarçaVillarreal pic.twitter.com/y4aYLQ2KBr
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) May 9, 2018
A Villarreal guard of honor and a yellow submarine for Andres Iniesta. Photo: @FourFourTweet | Twitter
All in all, a classy showing from Villarreal, which showed more respect to the league champion than Real Madrid did on Sunday during El Clasico. Zinedine Zidane’s men refused a guard of honor in retribution for Barcelona refusing the same after Los Blancos won the Club World Cup in December.
But the Villarreal guard of honor wasn’t the only classy bit of honoring going on at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. With Mother’s Day on Sunday, the Blaugrana players wore the names of their mothers on their backs during the walk-out.
The game is about to start!
But first, and together with @Rakuten Arena, we want to pay tribute to mums all over the world.
They are the #TrueChampions #BarçaRakuten pic.twitter.com/ck7FRuoP5q— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 9, 2018
Unfortunately for Villarreal, Barcelona — and Iniesta in particular — didn’t quite show the same respect in return, scoring two goals in the opening 16 minutes of the match and leading 3-0 by halftime, with Iniesta supplying two sublime passes to set up goals.
Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring just over 10 minutes in but his finish was a simple tap-in after a brilliant run from Ousmane Dembele.
GOOOOOOOAL@Phil_Coutinho helps himself to the scraps after Dembele (@Dembouz) bamboozles the Villarreal backline. #BarçaVillarreal pic.twitter.com/IybticObS8
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 9, 2018
Paulinho then made it 2-0 in the 16th minute. Lucas Digne will be given credit for the assist, but the play was undoubtedly set up by the incredible passing of Iniesta.
GOOOOOOOAL@andresiniesta8 sends a torpedo through the Yellow Submarine's defense to find Digne who squares to @paulinhop8 for a tap-in finish. 2-0, @FCBarcelona! #BarçaVillarreal pic.twitter.com/vPRxmRdI5T
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 9, 2018
Barcelona’s celebrations continued into the final minutes of the first half with another incredible assist from Iniesta, who found Messi behind the Villarreal defense to make it 3-0.
It never gets old!
The Messi, @andresiniesta8 connection produces the goods for the umpteenth time, giving @FCBarcelona a three-goal cushion right before the break. #BarçaVillarreal pic.twitter.com/HBpOyZ90al— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 9, 2018
Villarreal pulled one back early in the second half but Barcelona won 5-1 thanks to two goals from Dembele.
Ivan Rakitic made a thrilling run to set up the first in the 87th minute.
GOOOOOOAL@ivanrakitic slaloms past two defenders before buttering @Dembouz's bread. 4-1, @FCBarcelona. #BarçaVillarreal pic.twitter.com/cNnlQUsPvA
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 9, 2018
And Dembele did it all himself to finish off the scoring in the 93rd minute, receiving the ball near midfield, galloping up field and chipping the keeper.
GOOOOOOOAL@Dembouz weaves his way past three defenders before painting a rainbow over the keeper! #BarçaVillarreal pic.twitter.com/HMcSDiKj8p
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 9, 2018
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