A frustrating night in Spain for Villa.

Playing at Barcelona might have been the stuff of dreams until recently for Villa supporters but for manager Unai Emery the Nou Camp remains the venue of nightmares.

This 3-0 Champions League defeat was the 15th defeat in 16 visits the Spaniard has suffered at the venue and this was another night full of regret.

Despite the emphatic nature of the scoreline, his Villa side were in the contest for long periods against a Barcelona team he ranks among the competition favourites.

The home side’s seventh minute opener, scored by Yamine Lamal, was gifted to them by a terrible Joao Gomes error.

Their second, from Raphinha, was heavily deflected. Raphinha’s second of the night, which killed the tie just past the hour mark, was the only goal of quality scored by the hosts.

Villa also missed several chances of their own to score as Barcelona kept a first Champions League clean sheet for 18 months.

It all added up to a case of what might have been yet Villa, who remain well placed to battle for a top eight group stage finish having won their first three matches, can take some positives.

To win at places like the Nou Camp you need to avoid silly mistakes and take your chances. In the first half Villa did neither.

Barcelona went into the night having already scored 56 goals in 14 matches this season.

Few can have been easier than the one Villa gifted them in the seventh minute. Zion Suzuki passed out to Gomes who, under pressure, hit a blind pass across his own box straight to Yamal, who took a touch inside Pau Torres before curling a finish into the bottom corner.

It was a nightmare moment for Gomes, who punched the ground in frustration and was then missed the chance to make quick amends, firing straight into a defender from eight yards out after Matty Cash had also seen an effort blocked wide.

Strong in attack, the hosts have been weak at the back this season, with Flick once again naming a patched-up defence which included midfielder Gerard Martin at the heart of it.

Villa were finding space but not capitalising. Jackson escaped down the right wing and his low cross rolled to Manzambi, who pulled the finish wide. Soon after, a poor first touch robbed Jackson of the chance to round Joan Garcia after he beat the keeper to the ball 30 yards out.

Garcia was then forced into his first action of the half by Manzambi, who struck a rising shot from the left of the box after another good Villa move.

At the other end, Yamal was showing flashes of brilliance and it needed a superb Pau Torres tackle to prevent the winger from getting his shot away after a barrelling run.

Villa were also close to providing another gift when a poor Suzuki pass was pounced on by Lopez. The keeper made amends by saving Anthony Gordon’s resulting shot.

Emery would have been optimistic at the break but within seven minutes of the restart his side were further behind.

This time Villa could count themselves unlucky. Fermin Lopez advanced with the ball and found Raphinha, with the striker’s shot hitting Torres to totally wrong foot Suzuki and roll into the bottom corner.

That left the visitors with a mountain to climb and in the 64th minute their hopes were finally killed off with a goal of real quality.

Joao Cancelo skipped past McGinn before delivering a cross with the outside of his right boot into Raphinha, who having run in behind the Villa back four finished first time past Suzuki.

Even a consolation eluded Villa as Leon Goretzka sent a glancing header onto the post, before fellow substitute Ibrahim Mbaye was denied one-on-one by Garcia.

Both Gordon and Yamal fired off target in the closing stages as the home side went looking for more.

Barcelona (4-3-3): Garcia, Farinas (Balde 82), Cubarsi, Martin, Cancelo, Rodri (Bernal HT), Pedri (de Jong (70), Lamal, Lopez (Gavi 70), Gordon, Raphinha (Jesus 70) Subs: Adeyemi, Abdelkarim, Goren, Victor, Campos Szczesny (gk), Livakovic (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Suzuki, Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen, Gomes (Goretzka 62), Kamara, McGinn (Alysson 77), Manzambi (Mbaye 62), Buendia (Barkley 62), Jackson (Abraham 77) Subs: Harwood-Bellis, Mings, Garnacho, Hemmings, Wright (gk), Bizot (gk).