Barcelona have moved within two matches of a historic unbeatren La Liga campaign by thrashing Villarreal 5-1 at the Camp Nou.
Goals from Philippe Coutinho, Paulinho and Lionel Messi gave the Spanish champions a three-goal advantage by the interval.
Although the Yellows pulled one back through Nicola Sansone early in the second period, a late brace from Ousmane Dembele added gloss to the scoreline.
Find out how the all the action unfolded with Sports Mole's text commentary below.
6.00pmHello and welcome to our live text coverage of the La Liga meeting between Barcelona and Villarreal at the Camp Nou. The hosts may have wrapped up the league title and the visitors are already in Europe, but to say there's nothing at stake tonight doesn't quite cut it.
6.01pmBarcelona are just three games away from a historic unbeaten campaign, while Villarreal can move above Real Betis into fifth place by denying them that record tonight. Kickoff is just under an hour away, but there's plenty to get through between now and then, beginning with the two starting XIs...
6.03pmBARCELONA XI: Cillessen, Vermaelen, Pique, Digne, Semedo, Busquets, Iniesta, Paulinho, Messi, Coutinho, Dembele
6.05pmBARCA SUBS: Rakitic, Alba, Suarez, Ter Stegen, Alcácer, Gomes, Mina
6.07pmVILLARREAL XI: Asenjo, Ruiz, Alvaro, Costa, Mario, Fornals, Trigueros, Rodri, Bacca, Cheryshev, Castillejo
6.08pmVILLARREAL SUBS: Bonera, Fuego, Fernandez, Sansone, Marin, Unal, Raba
6.09pmSo, what can we make of those two starting XIs? Starting with Barcelona, they have made a number of changes from last weekend's 2-2 draw with bitter rivals Real Madrid, including a start for Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez dropping to the bench.
6.11pmWith Sergi Roberto suspended, Nelson Semedo starts in the right-back position while Ivan Rakitic makes way for Paulinho in midfield.
6.13pmAndres Iniesta, who was substituted in El Clasico, starts at the Camp Nou as he winds down what has been an illustrious career at Barcelona. Reports suggest that he will be heading to a club in the Far East this summer.
6.14pmBarca have also made a change in goal, giving Jasper Cillessen a run-out while first-choice Marc-Andre ter Stegen is benched.
6.15pmOver to Villarreal, and Carlos Bacca will provide their goal threat while Denis Cheryshev retains his place in an advanced midfield role. Pablo Fornals takes on a deeper midfield position, replacing Dani Raba who drops to the bench. The visitors were without the services of Antonio Rukavina but otherwise at full strength.
6.17pmJust a reminder that Barcelona start the match top of the pile with the La Liga title already in the bag, while their opponents are sixth and have already qualified for the Europa League. A win for the visitors, however, would fire them up to fifth.
6.19pmIn a classy move, the visitors will give Barca a guard of honour tonight (since Real did not ahead of El Clasico) and will also present Iniesta with a special award for his contributions to Spanish football.
6.21pmLet's take a look over some of the stats that matter ahead of this clash. Just to give you an idea of what Villarreal are up against tonight, Barca are unbeaten in a whopping 42 La Liga matches!
6.23pmGoals by the lorryload are they secret to their success. The Catalan giants have scored at least two of them in 27 of their last 29 league games, which is generally what happens when your attack is spearheaded by Messi and Suarez most weeks.
6.25pmTheir games are generally high-scoring affairs and it isn't always one-way traffic. Barcelona matches have produced more than 2.5 goals on average for last six times on the spin, and there are signs that they're starting to ship them. The Catalans have conceded at least two in their last three league games.
6.27pmAs for Villarreal, they're on winning run of three matches on the spin and have earned plaudits for their aerial dominance and counter-attacking play.
6.29pmRodri has been a key man for them this season, with a passing accuracy of 89%. Man-marking him throughout the match will be important for the hosts tonight, but they will need to keep an eye on Carlos Bacca, too.
6.31pmThe Colombian has been known to find the Bacca the net if given space in the final third. In fact, he has scored 49 goals in his 104 appearances in La Liga and could become only the second Colombian to hit the 50 milestone tonight, after Radamel Falcao.
6.33pmVillarreal are often their own worst enemy and have a horrible record at giving away free kicks in critical areas. They have conceded 12 goals from set pieces this season, which is something Barca could exploit through Messi, as well as good headers of the ball like Paulinho.
6.35pmLet's take a look at the head-to-head record between the two teams, and Villarreal fans should probably look away now.
6.37pmThe visitors have lost at this stadium on the last seven occasions, and Barca have hit three goals in six of those meetings!
6.39pmLooking at the bigger picture, Barcelona are undefeated in their last 17 La Liga games against tonight's opposition, but their last defeat to them was at the Camp Nou in 2008, a game the visitors won 2-1.
6.40pmTo be more specific about the Yellow Submarine's fortunes at this ground, it's won three, drawn four, lost 10, and they last kept a clean sheet here way back in April 2004, a goalless draw.
6.42pmLionel Messi is always up for this fixture, having scored 12 goals in his last 12 La Liga games against Villarreal. He's also found the net on the last four occasions the two teams have met at the Camp Nou, with a haul of seven goals.
6.44pmHere's a quick reminder of what is at stake for Barca in their remaining three league games...
6.45pmPREDICTION: As we've already touched on, there's still plenty for both of these teams to play for, even though Barca are confirmed champions and their opponents have already sealed Champions League football. The two managers have named strong starting XIs, so Villarreal are sure to pose a tough test for a near-full strength Barca. That said, there's so much quality among the Catalans' ranks that they will most likely edge this one 2-1.
6.47pmPre-match quotes from the two managers coming up...
6.49pmERNESTO VALVERDE: "We carry on with the intention of winning the games we have left and staying competitive," he told a press conference ahead of Wednesday's visit of Villarreal. We are facing a team who are having a great season and they will be looking to book a place in Europe. We want our level of competitiveness to be a habit, it's good to arrive at the end with everything solved but I want it to be an acquired habit."
6.51pmJAVI CALLEJA: "The challenge is huge, but the motivation is too. It's a historic year for Barca. It is practically unrepeatable not to have lost in the league.I expect a very motivated Barca. Surely they want to finish the league without defeat and they play at home and want to give their fans a treat. Despite the difficulty, we are confident of winning and playing a great game at the Camp Nou. We must keep the concentration for 90 minutes and not make mistakes."
6.53pmWith just over five minutes to go until kickoff, here's a reminder of both starting lineups...
6.54pmFor Barca, it's a 4-3-3 formation while the visitors line up with a 4-5-1, having packed their midfield and placed their faith in Bacca to provide the goal threat.
6.56pmBarcelona are heading out onto the pitch now to rapturous applause from a packed-out Camp Nou. The Villarreal players are giving the league champions a guard of honour.
6.58pmJust two minutes until kickoff now. Stand by for minute-by-minute updates from the match itself...
1 minKICKOFF! The match is now underway with Barcelona kicking from right to left in the first period.
3 minBarca start proceedings off at a leisurely pace. They've held the ball up well in the opening minutes, with Semedo and Pique passing it across the backline calmly.
4 minThe hosts attempt to channel something along the right flank as Semedo releases Paulinho. The Brazilian switches play to the left channel and Iniesta arrives in support, but the veteran midfielder is unable to pick out either of the three Barca forwards with his searching pass.
6 minSHOT! We have our first shot of the match and it misses the target by some distance. Messi gains possession on the edge of the box, does well to weave his way between two defenders and unleashes a curler which bends wide of the left upright.
8 minThe visitors have set out a tight stall and their five-man midfield is certainly standing its ground. Just the one chance in this one so far, that Messi effort which dipped wide of the post.
9 minMessi draws a foul from Ruiz and Barca win a free kick in their opponents' half, but the hosts do nothing with it as Gonzalez meets it with a headed clearance.
11 minGOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Villarreal (Philippe Coutinho)
11 minBarca break the deadlock just after the 10-minute mark. Dembele gains possession in the box and gets a shot away which Sergio Asenjo can only parry straight into the path of the onrushing Coutinho, who smashes home from close range.
13 minCHANCE! Villarreal create their first chance and it isn't far away! Pablo Fornals goes on a mazy run and lets fly. His strike was bending from the moment it left his boot, forcing Jasper Cillessen into an acrobatic save at full stretch to keep it out at the top corner.
15 minThe visitors can't do anything with the resulting corner from Cillessen save moments earlier, and they find themselves on the back foot once again, defending a pacey Barcelona break.
16 minGOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Villarreal (Paulinho)
16 minBara double their advantage and their second comes off the back of a blistering counter. Paulinho caps the break off by tapping Lucas Digne's ball across the face of goal into the back of the net from close range.
18 minThe hosts go in search of a third as Semedo's through-ball releases Messi. The Argentine attempts to play a one-two with his teammate but the right-back drifts offside.
20 minDembele wins a free kick in the danger zone which Messi steps up to take. It isn't vintage Messi by any means as the striker's shot cannons into the wall.
22 minBarca are putting their opponents under intense pressure now. First, Iniesta flashes a shot across the face of goal, and moments later Dembele goes on a blistering run and lets fly with a low drive, forcing Asenjo to get down quickly to turn it away.
24 minVillarreal are being completely dominated here. The Barca counter has been relentless and it's kept them on the back foot. They have no answer to the pace of Dembele, the skill of Messi and the pressure Coutinho is applying at every opportunity.
26 minThe visitors have attempted to play a containment game, but they have failed to get any service up to Bacca up front and they defence looks like it will come undone every time Barca pile bodies forward.
28 minA Messi shot deflects behind off Gonzalez and Barca win a corner. The cross comes in but the move breaks down as an offside flag goes up against Vermaelen.
30 minGonzalez puts the ball behind for another corner, and once again, Barca full their lines from a set piece. This time Pique is the guilty party as he commits a foul as the cross is played into the danger zone.
32 minHere's the scene moments after Countinho rifled in Barca's first. That's four goals and as many assists for the former Liverpool man in La Liga.
33 minVillarreal are given a rare opportunity to apply pressure as Bacca gets half a yard on his marker and attempts to play a cross into the area. The Colombian, however, loses his footing and the ball bounces off his shin and behind for a goalkick.
35 minVillarreal win a corner as Digne attempts to shepherd the ball out of play, only to touch it along the way. The cross comes in but Coutinho is on hand to sweep it clear convincingly.
37 minMessi and Castillejo tangle with one another and the Argentine striker looks like he is in he clear. However, the move grinds to a halt as the referee blows for a foul on the Villarreal man.
39 minCHANCE! Villarreal's best chance of the game goes begging. Bacca cuts inside the penalty area and lays the ball on for Jaume Costa to strike, but Cillessen reacts quickly, makes himself big and produces a vital block. Good goalkeeping.
41 minBarca attempt to hit Villarrel with a swift break in response. Dembele dances his way into the penalty area and attempts to pick out Busquets, but the Spaniard slips as he attempts to let fly and the move breaks down.
43 minBOOKING! Ruiz Torre gets the game's first yellow card for a cynical tackle.
45 minGOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Villarreal (Lionel Messi)
45 minBarca are almost out of sight now! Messi gets his name on the scoresheet after timing his run into the box to absolute perfection. He latches onto a cutting pass from Iniesta and guides the ball beyond Asenjo with the slighest of touches to make it 3-0.
45+1 minHALF TIME: Barcelona 3-0 Villarreal
7.51pmBarcelona head into the interval with a 3-0 lead over Villarreal, and it's been too easy for them so far. The Spanish champions have made it look effortless.
7.52pmThe likes of Dembele and Messi have run riot against the yellows, who really have no answer to that blistering Barca counter-attack.
7.53pmAs things stand, Barcelona will be two games away from a historic unbeaten league campaign. After tonight, they face Levante away and Real Sociedad at home - it's difficult to see either of those teams pulling off a shock win against them.
7.55pmEverything is going to plan for the hosts, but expected them to give some of their subs a run-out in the second period. It would be a surprise if big guns such as Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic don't feature at some point.
7.57pmAs for Villarreal, they could make a change in midfield as they're losing the battle in the centre of the park despite packing out the engine room. Dani Raba could help firm things up if he was to enter the fray.
7.59pmThere was a nice moment ahead of this match as Iniesta was presented with a ceramic Yellow Submarine by the visitors for his services to Spanish football.
8.01pmThe veteran midfielder has had an excellent game tonight, proving just how much he will be missed when he moves on at the end of the season. Coutinho has been touted as his replacement, although the Brazilian has been playing on the left tonight.
46 minKICKOFF: We are back underway at the Camp Nou. Just how many can Barca score tonight? Stay tuned to find out.
47 minBarcelona are unchanged for the second period while Villarreal have made one change in midfield, swapping Denis Cheryshev for Nicola Sansone.
48 minThere's an early half-chance for the visitors as they play a throw-in long. The ball ends up deep in the Barcelona half and Castillejo catches it on the half-volley, and isn't too far away from finding the top corner. Better from the away side.
50 minCoutinho has been playing well over on the left tonight. He's a man in form at the minute. Take a look at his recent stats in front of goal...
52 minAs things stand, Barcelona are on course for their 13th victory against Villarreal in the last 18 La Liga encounters. You have to go all the way back to March 2008 for the last time they lost this fixture.
54 minGOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal (Nicola Sansone)
54 minSubstitute Nicola Sansone pulls a goal back for Villarreal and it's one of the flukiest goals you'll ever see. Fornals shoots from inside the box and the ball deflects off his teammate and into the back of the net! Sansone knew nothing about that and there was even the hint of handball on his part. Villarreal will take it, though!
56 minSUBSTITUTION: Villarreal could be on the comeback trail now, and they've just thrown on fresh legs by replacing Manu Trigueros with Javi Fuego.
58 minThe vistors are playing with more attacking intent now and the away fans are responding to that. Barca look like they are preparing to make a change as Luis Suarez is warming up on the touchline.
60 minSUBSTITUTION: On comes Suarez and Iniesta is the man to replace him. The noise from the home and away fans is absolutely incredible as they acknowledge this legend of the Spanish game.
62 minHere are the scenes as Iniesta headed for the dugout...
64 minSUBSTITUTION: Barca throw on another of their big guns as Ivan Rakitic enters the fray. Busquets is the one to make way.
66 minBacca swivels on the edge of the Barcelona box and gets a shot away. Unfortunatelty for him and Villarreal, it's straight at Cillessen, who makes a comfortable save.
68 minThe Colombian striker applies pressure on Barca again, this time while chasing down Castillejo's through-ball, but he times his run all wrong and is caught offside.
70 minSUBSTITUTION: And being caught in the offside trap is Bacca's final contribution of the match. He is taken off and replaced with Enes Unal for the final 20 minutes.
72 minBOOKING! Fuego goes flying into Messi with an overzealous challenge and is shown a yellow card for his efforts.
74 minGOAL DISALLOWED! Coutinho thinks he has scored his second of the night after firing Dembele's cutback over the line, but an offside flag cuts short his celebrations. It was the right call by the linesman, too.
76 minSHOT! Sansone goes in search of his second of the evening, and this one would have been more intentional. The Italian lets fly from 25 yards with an absolute screamer, putting it just inches over the bar!
78 minSuarez causes the Villarreal defence a few problems as he twists and turns in the penalty area and prepares to pull the trigger. Everyone in a yellow shirt looks relieved when the offside flag goes up.
80 minSUBSTITUTION: Barcelona's final change sees Yerry Mina take the place of Pique as the hosts look to see this game out.
82 minBOOKING! Gaspar goes into the book for a hefty challenge on Dinge. He can have no complaints about being penalised for that clumsy lunge!
84 minRodri goes for goal and Sansone once again gets in the way, except this time he deflects the ball not into the back of the net, but out for a goalkick.
85 minThere's a half-chance for Barca as Messi shoots first time from 20 yards, but Ruiz is there to take the sting out of the Argentine's effort.
87 minGOAL! Barcelona 4-1 Villarreal (Ousmane Dembele)
88 minDembele adds a fourth for Barca to add some gloss to the scoreline but it's substitute Ivan Rakitic who should take all of the credit. Rakitic ran the Villarreal defence ragged and laid the ball on platter for his teammate to stroke over the line.
90 minGOAL! Barcelona 5-1 Villarreal (Ousmane Dembele)
90 minOusmane Dembele adds further gloss to the final scoreline with a beautiful chipped finish from close range. He plays a neat one-two with Mina before dinking the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 5-1 to the hosts.
90 minThere will be three minutes of stoppage time to play.
90+3 minFULL TIME: Barcelona 5-1 Villarreal
8.56pmA five-star performance from Barcelona sees them hammer Villarreal at the Camp Nou and move within two games of a historic unbeaten domestic season. That's all we have time for tonight but stick with Sports Mole for our ongoing coverage of this evening's biggest matches. Many thanks for joining us.