Griezmann double fires Barca to Villarreal victory
Barcelona took over as Atletico Madrid's chief challengers for the title on Sunday as Antoine Griezmann scored a quick-fire double in a 2-1 win away at Villarreal in La Liga.
Three goals in seven minutes before half-time saw Villarreal take the lead and then swiftly throw it away as Griezmann equalised with a sumptuous lob before capitalising on a misplaced backpass to create it two.
Helped by a red card for Villarreal's Manu Trigueros soon after the hour, Barcelona held on for a win that puts them level on points with Real Madrid, having a played a casino game less than the reigning champions.
Atletico are two points further in the front and will extend that gap to five by beating a struggling Athletic Bilbao side at San Mames down the road Sunday.
Since losing the Clasico earlier this month, Barcelona have strung together three consecutive victories and with a game at home to Atletico still to come, Ronald Koeman's side still have the title within their hands.
Griezmann started on the bench for the defeat by Real Madrid but has been recalled going back three games in a row, repaying the faith with an objective now in each.
It remains to be observed whether Barcelona start to see the 30-year-old as a chance to raise funds in the summer, and also whether the offers is there, but Griezmann now has 23 goals this season, and 15 because the turn of the entire year.
Villarreal took the lead in the 28th minute and by the 35th these were behind. Samuel Chukwueze did brilliantly to place them in the front, steering from the slipping Jordi Alba prior to going round Marc-Andre ter Stegen and slotting in from the angle.
But two minutes later, Barcelona were level with a supreme finish by Griezmann, who ran onto Oscar Mingueza's through ball and clipped an exquisite half volley over Sergio Asenjo, which dropped in the far corner.
Asenjo had earlier made a beautiful save to claw Frenkie de Jong's end the line but he could do nothing about Griezmann's second, as Juan Foyth didn't spot the Frenchman and played him through with a pass-back aimed for his goalkeeper.
Barca's task was doable in the second half when Trigueros was sent off for a challenge on Lionel Messi. Trigueros slid in and poked away the ball but his studs went high into Messi's left ankle on the follow-through.
Messi continued seemingly unhurt and Barca held on.
