Barcelona somehow kept their title hopes alive with a simply bizarre 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Villarreal, capped by Lionel Messi’s late winner after two own goals by the home team.
Goals from Cani and Manu Trigueros had appeared to condemn Barca to defeat before the crazy turnaround, which allowed the Catalan club to mark their first game since the death of former boss Tito Vilanova with a victory.
After an emotional minute’s silence to Vilanova which had many Barca players fighting back tears, the game got underway at an understandably subdued pace with Xavi’s free kick straight at Sergio Asenjo the only notable moment in the early stages.
Both teams had a chance after 15 minutes, with Messi wriggled into the box but saw his weakly shot struck saved by the legs of Asenjo and Villarreal quickly launching a counter-attacking through impressive right back Mario, who eventually fired a shot wide from 20 yards.
Barca were dominating possession but the hosts were looking more threatening with their rapid and purposeful counter attacks, twice coming close through Cani deliveries before the half-hour mark, with Jonathan Pereira having his shot blocked before former Barca striker Giovani Dos Santos couldn’t quite connect with a low cross at the far post.
Villarreal enjoyed more success in the opposition’s penalty area, though, coming within inches of an opener when a slick move resulted in Dos Santos squaring a pass to Javier Aquino whose goalbound shot was brilliantly cleared off the line by Marc Bartra.
But the home team went one better on the stroke of half-time, taking the lead when Pereira slid a superb through ball into the stride of the onrushing Cani, who promptly produced a slick first-time finish from the edge of the box.
Villarreal doubled their lead early in the second half, when Aquino raced down the right wing and pulled back a perfectly placed cross for midfielder Trigueros to thump a header into the bottom left corner.
Despite a 20-yard curler inches past the post from Andres Iniesta, Barca looked a beaten team until they received a lifeline when Dani Alves cut inside from the right wing and saw his fierce low cross deflected into the net by home team centre back Gabriel Paulista.
That goal reinvigorated the visiting team, who played with newfound verve as they pushed for an equaliser.
But there was a huge amount of fortune in their second goal, with another right wing cross from Alves being inexplicably headed into his own goal by Villarreal’s other central defender, Mateo Musacchio.
Asenjo kept his team on level terms with a brilliant flying save from Messi’s 25-yard free-kick, but the winning goal then arrived as Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas combined to tee up Messi, who crunched home a right-footed strike from ten yards.
There was still time for another twist as the visitors survived a strong penalty appeal when Busquets’ reckless challenge on Aquino was controversially adjudged to have taken place just outside the box, but Barca held on.
