Barcelona 1 - Villarreal 0

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Oleguer, Edmilson, Puyol, Van Bronckhorst; Van Bommel (Belletti 85'), Iniesta, Deco; Giuly, Eto'o, Larsson (Ezquerro 09', Maxi López 35'). 4-4-2.
Villarreal: Barbosa; Josemi, Gonzalo Rodríguez (Quique Alvarez 19'), Peña, Arruabarrena; Cazorla (Héctor Font 70'), César Arzo, Josico, Roger (Guayre 61'); José Marí, Guille Franco. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Barça: Oleguer, Edmilson, Van Bronckhorst for Belletti, Rodri, Sylvinho / Villarreal: Josemi, Cazorla, César Arzo, Josico, Roger, José Marí for Javi Venta, Marcos Senna, Tacchinardi, Sorín, Riquelme, Diego Forlán.

Goals:
1-0. 11. Eto'o. Controlled high ball and turned past Peña to shoot wide of Barbosa.

Spain's two surviving Champions League sides Barcelona and Villarreal brought forward their league game to Friday night to enable the teams to prepare for their midweek matches. Both coaches rested key players, but it was Frank Rijkaard's side who came out on top with a 1-0 win which extends their lead over their nearest rivals to 14 points pending the rest of the Easter weekend fixtures.

The locals dominated the early minutes, with Larsson, Oleguer and Giuly all going close. Larsson limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury, but just two minutes later his side were in front, Eto'o controlling a high ball and turning past Peña before firing a low shot inside Barbosa's near post.

Villarreal had not troubled Víctor Valdés at all in the first quarter of the match, but the keeper had to be on his toes to push an overhead kick from Arzo over the bar and then watched as Guille Franco blasted another chance high and wide. The visitors had lost Gonzalo to an ankle injury before then, and Barça received another blow when substitute Ezquerro also had to go off after a hard tackle from Peña.

With Ronaldinho rested and Messi suffering another setback, Rijkaard gave a rare run-out to Maxi López. Within a couple of minutes the big striker got the ball in the back of the net only to see the referee pull up play for a questionable foul on Peña, and he almost beat the keeper a few minutes later with a diving header from Giuly's cross.

The excitement died down in the second half though, with both sides thinking more of their midweek commitments rather than this game. Deco could have added to the lead when he hit the side netting from close up, but the best chances fell to Pellegrini's side, Franco wasting another good chance after making himself space and José Marí shooting just wide from near to goal. The game ended however with another injury, this time to Peña, and the two coaches will be eyeing their doctors' reports with concern before they name their Champions League squads.