Barça closes out an almost perfect 2025 in the best possible way

BarcelonaJob done, 2025. A year of joy in which Barcelona fans have been energized by a team that has lifted trophies, connected with the supporters, and found a way to navigate turbulent waters when necessary. To close the year, a victory in Villarreal without fanfare (0-2), in a match where Pedri was sorely missed and a moment of madness from Renato Veiga, who got himself sent off when the home side were playing their best, proved useful. But it was a deserved victory, in which Raphinha set the pace and Lamine Yamal worked his magic. Flick can go on vacation satisfied, with a four-point cushion over a Real Madrid that seems to be gradually crumbling. Barça, on the other hand, has grown stronger as the season has progressed. The wind is blowing in the Blaugrana's favor, who this year have successfully implemented a generational change in goal. Just the week Ter Stegen returned to action in the Cup, Joan Garcia delivered one of his most complete performances, proving a nightmare for the home side. Every save he made demoralized Marcelino, but simultaneously warmed the hearts of Barcelona fans who have enjoyed a near-perfect year. Only the tragic night in Milan was a bitter pill to swallow.

It wasn't an easy victory, but the team's spoils are worth their weight in gold: confirming that this team will be the winter champions when the first half of the season ends and being able to celebrate the New Year watching the Santiago Bernabéu buzz with nerves. Barça also has its problems, such as Christensen's injury, which was revealed shortly before the match, and Koundé's muscle issues. Joy is never complete, but the Barça that will make the Tió de Nadal (a traditional Catalan Christmas log) "poop" (a reference to the Tió de Nadal's famous Catalan Christmas log) already closely resembles the team that finished the previous season a few months ago with a thrilling, high-tempo style. The big winner of 2025 is Hansi Flick. And, incidentally, Joan Laporta, who will enter an election year satisfied.

Without Pedri, Barça ceases to be an angelic heart, becoming merely the best team in La Liga. With the Canary Islander, the music is like violins, but without him, they have to find other leaders on the pitch. Players like Lamine Yamal, who absorbed the blow from Renato Veiga in the first half and clipped the wings of the home side with the 0-2 after the break. And leaders like Raphinha, of course. A consistent player, who always performs at a high level, who is tenacious, protests, and drives his opponents crazy. He won the penalty for the 0-1 and converted it. He defended Lamine Yamal when the home side targeted him and tirelessly covered ground defensively when the team was under pressure. 2025 has been excellent for Raphinha, the best year of his career. A year in which Barça has managed to strike fear into its rivals once again.

To go on holiday happy, they had to grit their teeth. The first half was pretty for the neutral spectator, but Flick watched with unease, as the Barça defense gave Joan Garcia no respite. On his return to the goal after his disastrous performance in the Cup, the Catalan goalkeeper made it clear, in case anyone needed reminding, who the starter was. The game was played end-to-end, and Villarreal forced errors from Gerard Martín and Balde, who were too shaky on the ball. The home coach, Marcelino, grew increasingly nervous as his team squandered chances on lethal, vertical attacks, knowing full well that if you miss against Barça, you'll surely regret it. And so it proved. It was Raphinha who punished a defensive error by drawing a clear penalty, which he calmly converted.

The indomitable Brazilian has been the best player for the Blaugrana, although Lamine Yamal always shows glimpses of his talent. He hasn't fully recovered from his injury yet, but even a Lamine at half-speed is better than most mortals. Perhaps that's why Renato Veiga decided to intimidate the young man from Rocafonda. Bad idea. Because he wasn't intimidated, and because if you push the boundaries of the rules, you can get burned: he received a straight red card. This red card worked in Barça's favor, because they were under immense pressure in defense. Eric Garcia, always omnipresent, couldn't stop all the local players who were speeding through his area. Frenkie de Jong, accurate with the ball, wasn't helping him defensively. At halftime, Villarreal was a frustrated team taking out their anger on the referee for not having been able to beat Joan Garcia. Barça, on the other hand, knew that the turn of events was working in their favor. And that the second half would be theirs if they didn't do anything stupid. Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Despite a few isolated attacks from Marcelino's team, the second half saw Barça grow stronger and manage to ignite a Lamine Yamal who was eager to silence the stadium, which was whistling at him as if he'd made a fool of himself during the red card incident. Lamine Yamal isn't intimidated, quite the opposite. If they whistle at him, he steps up. And he took it upon himself to score the second goal after a well-worked team move in which Barça flooded the opposition's penalty area with players. By then, Lewandowski and Rashford were already on the pitch, having come on for a somewhat ineffective Ferran Torres and Fermín, respectively. Changes to maintain the level of play. And time seemed to drag on. Barça already had control of the match that was to be played in Miami, as La Liga had planned, and which ended with chants from the Barça fans present in the stands. These were the same fans who couldn't travel to Florida had La Liga's plans gone ahead. Instead, they were able to witness firsthand how Barça continues to grow stronger, overcoming injuries and pressure, with the aspiration that 2026 will be the year that confirms that 2025 wasn't just a fluke. Quite the opposite. Perhaps it's the beginning of a time to dream.