Barcelona: Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele scored twice and produced a mesmerising display to fire his side to a 5-1 win over Villarreal in the La Liga on Wednesday, which stretched the champions’ unbeaten run this season to 36 games with two remaining.

Barca’s record signing Philippe Coutinho fired the home side ahead in the 11th minute on the rebound after a darting run forward and shot from Frenchman Dembele while midfielder Paulinho finished off a delightful team move to double their lead five minutes later.

Barca’s departing captain Andres Iniesta produced the through ball to help create the second goal and he further delighted the crowd with a crafty first-time pass over the top which Lionel Messi tucked into the far corner on the volley for the third goal at the end of the first half.

Villarreal got a goal back nine minutes into the second period when Nicola Sansone diverted a shot beyond Barca’s stand-in goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, who later blocked a shot from Spain international Rodri on the line with his body.

Dembele grabbed a deserved goal in the 87th by knocking in from close range after a stunning individual run from substitute Ivan Rakitic.

The Croatian coasted past two defenders down the right wing, knocking the ball past one and through the legs of the other, before laying on the pass for the Frenchman to score.

Dembele, 20, then delighted the home fans with a virtuoso individual run and stylish dink over goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo to complete the drubbing in stoppage time.

In Seville, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos scored an own goal and missed a penalty as his side were beaten 2-3 by Sevilla, falling to their sixth defeat in La Liga this season after coach Zinedine Zidane made sweeping changes to his side.

French forward Wissam Ben Yedder put Sevilla in front in the 26th minute after racing in behind Ramos while Miguel Layun doubled the home side's lead on the stroke of halftime, knocking into an empty net from close range.

Reuters

LA LIGA