A stylish win (4-1)

Aida Soriano

Barça B have beaten Vila-real B in the battle of the Division 2A reserve teams. Muniesa, Jonathan Soriano from a penalty, Nolito and Rochina won them three well deserved points.

It was a great 4-1 victory for Luis Enrique’s at the Miniestadi after losing their unbeaten run at Huesca a fortnight earlier. Barça won control of the ball from the start against a Vila-real B side that tried to do likewise but couldn’t. The win means Barcelona B are provisionally third in the table, with 22 points, but Celta and Betis still have to play on Sunday. The game was also notable for the Barça B debut of Martí Riverola.

Muniesa gets opener
Barça looked hungry for the win from the off, and dominated spectacularly. Masip, once again in goal, was called upon very rarely, and in just the first quarter of an hour, the side coached by Luis Enrique had already taken five corner, something which reflects the excellent work down the wings by Carlos Carmona, on the right and Cristian Tello on the left. Vázquez, Carmona and Jonathan Soriano all had early chances before the deadlock was broken by Marc Muniesa in the 33rd, when he found himself unchallenged in the area and confidently send the ball where he wanted (1-0).

Iago makes presence felt
Two minutes later, former FCB man Iago Falqué took advantage of some sloppy Barça B defending to pull Vila-real B back into the fight by breaking through the Barcelona defence and finishing an excellent move with a shot that returning defender Sergi Gómez was unable to clear (1-1).

Barça B back ahead
Vila-real B were reinvigorated by the goal, but the home side responded almost immediately with their second goal (2-1) when Jonathan Soriano converted a penalty committed by Iago Falqué on Cristian Tello (min.43).

No response from rival
In the second half, Barça B carried on just the same and Masip again had little to do while the Catalans produced a flood of danger. Jonathan Soriano hit the side netting from long range and debutant Martí Riverolacame close to nodding home an cross from Nolito in the 60th minute.

Nolito and Rochina top it off
Five minutes later, Nolito made it 3-1 following a diagonal run, and Rubén Rochina got his name on the scoresheet five minutes later (4-1). There could have been further damage had Sergi Roberto managed to find the net in a one on one situation with the keeper. But the win was in no doubt by now, and that’s the seventh for the reserves in what is proving to be a terrific season in Spanish football’s second tier.