Yamal and Raphinha end Villa's perfect start

Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 at Camp Nou on Tuesday and ended the last perfect record in the Champions League league phase. Lamine Yamal scored after seven minutes, Raphinha scored twice in the second half, and Villa finished with one shot on target after winning their first three games.

The game was decided by the quality of the finishes rather than the balance of play. Villa had 35.2 percent of the ball and nine shots, and their only attempt on target came in a second half they started well. Barcelona had 16 shots, eight on target and 64.8 percent possession, and the difference between those numbers was the score.

Yamal's seventh-minute opener

Yamal's goal came from the centre of the box. He took the ball, shifted it onto his left foot and shot low into the bottom left corner with seven minutes on the clock. TNT Sports reported that the strike moved Yamal ahead of Kylian Mbappe among teenage scorers in the competition, which is the sort of record that gets attached to a player long before his career has a shape.

Villa had no answer in the first half. Ian Maatsen was booked after 11 minutes for a foul, Emiliano Buendia after 31 and Nicolas Jackson after 45. Raphinha was also booked in first-half stoppage time, which was the only moment Barcelona lost their composure. The pattern was set: Villa pressed high for ten minutes, Barcelona played through it, and then Villa dropped five metres and waited for a long ball that rarely found a teammate.

Raphinha and the second-half separation

Raphinha's first came after 52 minutes, a left-footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom right corner, assisted by Fermin Lopez. His second came 12 minutes later from very close range, assisted by Joao Cancelo, and by then the game was gone. Between those goals Villa made three changes: Ibrahim Mbaye, Leon Goretzka and Ross Barkley replaced Buendia, Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes. The changes did not change the direction of the game.

Barcelona made their own changes with the result safe. Marc Bernal replaced Rodri at half-time. Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Gabriel Jesus came on after 70 minutes for Pedri, Fermin Lopez and Raphinha, and Alejandro Balde replaced Brian Farinas after 82. The last 20 minutes were played at training-ground pace, which is what a 3-0 scoreline at Camp Nou usually produces.

The numbers behind a one-sided night

Barcelona completed 552 passes from 603 attempts, 90 percent. Villa completed 258 from 323, 80 percent. Villa played 46 long balls and completed 23, almost double Barcelona's 26 long balls, which tells you how quickly they gave the ball back. Both sides crossed 10 or 11 times and found a teammate three times. Barcelona cleared 23 times to Villa's 12, a measure of how rarely they were actually threatened.

Villa won eight corners to Barcelona's four, and that was their route back into the game at the start of the second half. Three corners in a row produced one header over the bar and two clearances. Villa also committed nine fouls to Barcelona's 14 and collected three yellow cards to Barcelona's one. The referee had a busy first half and a quiet second, which is another way of describing the contest.

The shot map is just as one-sided. Barcelona put eight of 16 attempts on target, and Villa's goalkeeper made five saves. The three that beat him were the ones that mattered. Villa put one of nine on target. For a side that had scored 12 goals in three European games, one attempt on target is the number that matters more than the score.

The table after four matchdays

Paris Saint-Germain lead on 12 points after their 6-0 win at Villarreal. Barcelona are second on nine with a goal difference of plus eight, Villa third on nine with plus six, and Liverpool, Real Madrid and Real Betis all have nine from three games. The table is uneven because the league phase is midway through the fourth round: some clubs have played four, others three, and the order will move again on Wednesday.

Villa's first defeat

For Villa the damage is limited. They stay on nine points, level with Barcelona, and their goal difference fell from plus nine to plus six. The first three games produced 12 goals and three conceded. Tuesday produced one shot on target. Unai Emery took positives from the defeat, according to BBC Sport, and the table gives him something to point at: Villa are still in the top three with four games played.

The lesson is about the level of the opposition. Villa's first three opponents allowed them to play on the front foot. Barcelona did not. When Villa won the ball back they had to go long, and when they went long they lost it. Jackson was booked after 45 minutes and replaced after 77 by Tammy Abraham. John McGinn came off at the same time for Alysson. Villa's front line spent the night chasing.

Barcelona move on with a home win and a clean sheet, and the questions about their squad are for another night. Rodri came off at half-time, which is worth watching, but the club has not confirmed an injury. The league phase table is on the tables page, the rest of matchday four is in the Champions League section, and Wednesday's fixtures are on the matches page.

Elsewhere on Tuesday

Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Atletico Madrid, Manchester United beat Roma 3-2, Inter won 3-0 at Feyenoord, Sporting CP won 1-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray beat Stuttgart 2-0 and LASK Linz beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0. Lille drew 0-0 at Bodo/Glimt. The results leave the middle of the table packed: seventh to 20th is separated by five points, and every remaining matchday will move clubs several places.

• Barcelona: 3-0, 16 shots, 8 on target, 64.8 percent possession.
• Yamal: opened the scoring after seven minutes with a left-footed shot.
• Raphinha: scored after 52 and 64 minutes, both from inside the box.
• Villa: nine shots, one on target, first defeat in four European games.
• Table: Barcelona second on nine points, Villa third on nine.