Villa and Barca silence critics with Sevilla masterclass

Barcelona have struggled at home this season, losing to promoted Hercules and drawing with Real Mallorca, but the double champions showed their class with a 5-0 humiliation of Sevilla at Camp Nou on Saturday to stay within one point of league leaders Real Madrid.

Sevilla finished fourth last season and lifted the King’s Cup but were made to look average against a rampant Barcelona side that could have scored much more than five.

Spanish World Cup star David Villa had failed to score in the league since September 22 but shrugged off criticism with a brilliant individual goal cutting inside before curling a precise shot into the top corner.

Villa scored a second in the final minute for his fourth league goal of the campaign following his 40-million-euro move from Valencia.

“The fans enjoyed our display and I was calm because I knew the goals would come,” said Villa. “My goals history is there for everyone to see and I am just concentrating on my job which is to help Barcelona.

“The hard work is there and I have to say thanks to my team-mates and the coach for having faith in me.”

Villa, 28, was top-scorer in his five seasons at Valencia and has scored 44 goals in 69 games for Spain to hold the all-time national record along with former Real Madrid player Raul Gonzalez.

“We never doubted him (Villa),” manager Pep Guardiola said. “He has played for Sporting (Gijon), for (Real) Zaragoza, for Valencia, and scored goals for all of them, so we knew his signing was a guarantee.”

Argentine Lionel Messi also grabbed a brace with a fourth minute opener before a superb second after the break to make it four goals in his last two league matches and seven for the season.

Messi, 23, said Barcelona were ignoring all press remarks from Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach took a clever dig at Villa over his lack of goals prior to this weekend’s game.

“We can’t give any importance to what Mourinho is saying,” said Messi. “He is trying to provoke us but we shouldn’t get involved in the game and let him say what he wants. We know what we can do and we will stay calm.

“We are working the same as in past years and we are more united than ever and whatever comes from outside bounces off us.”

Barcelona and Messi will take on Real and Mourinho at Camp Nou in the first ‘El Clasico’ on the weekend of November 27/28 with Barcelona going for a fifth consecutive win in the fixture.

Barcelona’s next match is at FC Copenhagen on Tuesday in the Champions League and coach Guardiola is glad to have Spanish playmaker Xavi, one of the contenders for the Ballon D’Or, back from injury.

Xavi recovered from his tendonitis to start against Sevilla and was substituted after an hour as a precaution.

“He (Xavi) has come through fantastically well,” said Guardiola. “I spoke to him and he said he felt great. No problems at all. He is feeling good and that’s great news for us – he will be ready for Tuesday.

“The physiotherapists have worked for so many hours with him and they have done a great job with him, as have the doctors.”