Aston Villa were their own worst enemies in Barcelona, but the 3-0 scoreline doesn't tell the whole story

There was always a possibility that Aston Villa would come away from the Nou Camp having been beaten by Barcelona, because we're talking about one of the best teams in European football, playing some outstanding football under Hansi Flick, but the frustrating thing about Tuesday evening was how much Villa contributed to their own downfall.

I don't think 3-0 was necessarily a fair reflection of the game, although I wouldn't go as far as suggesting Villa deserved anything from it either. Barcelona were the better side, particularly in the second half, and ultimately showed the kind of ruthlessness that separates the very best teams from those still trying to reach that level. However, Villa had enough opportunities to make the evening considerably more uncomfortable for their hosts, and I was particularly encouraged by the response to what was an absolutely dreadful start.

João Gomes simply cannot give the ball away in the manner that he did after six minutes, particularly against a team that presses as aggressively as Barcelona and possesses the attacking quality to punish those mistakes immediately. I don't have an issue with Zion Suzuki playing the ball into midfield because that's how Unai Emery wants his team to operate, and Gomes is occupying a position where he should be comfortable receiving possession, but the pass he attempts is incredibly careless. He has to be more aware of what's around him, and once the ball is surrendered in that area of the pitch, you're almost inviting Barcelona to score.

What made it particularly disappointing was the occasion itself. Thousands of Villa supporters had travelled to Barcelona for one of the great European away days, and within six minutes we'd handed ourselves an enormous mountain to climb. It's difficult enough going to the Nou Camp without presenting the opposition with an opportunity like that, and I imagine Emery will have been absolutely furious.

To Villa's credit, though, the response was excellent. Within a couple of minutes Matty Cash had an opportunity from a really well-worked corner, and Gomes himself saw an effort blocked shortly afterwards that looked as though it could have been heading towards goal. We continued to find opportunities throughout the first half, with Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson both getting into promising positions, and there were occasions when Barcelona's incredibly high defensive line looked vulnerable.

I actually thought there was plenty to be encouraged about at half-time, particularly given the circumstances of how we'd fallen behind. Boubacar Kamara was excellent in midfield, while Ian Maatsen was probably Villa's other standout performer. Maatsen picked up an early booking but handled himself really well afterwards, and I thought both players demonstrated that Villa have individuals capable of competing at this level.

The second goal was an absolute killer, though, and an unfortunate one from Villa's perspective. The deflection completely wrong-footed Suzuki, who looked as though he was in a position to save the original effort, and at 2-0 the game became an entirely different proposition. I didn't think Villa responded particularly well after that, and the second-half performance was considerably poorer than what we'd seen before the break.

There was also a question over a possible foul on John McGinn in the build-up to Barcelona's third, although I wouldn't want to take anything away from the quality of João Cancelo's pass or Raphinha's finish. Barcelona possess players who can produce moments like that, and it's part of the reason they're operating at a level that Villa are still aspiring to reach.

Even at 3-0, Villa had opportunities to get themselves on the scoresheet. Leon Goretzka was unfortunate to strike the post, and there were other moments where the final decision or execution simply wasn't good enough. Nine shots and only one on target probably tells its own story, particularly against a Barcelona side whose defensive line was offering opportunities to get in behind.

I wouldn't dispute that Barcelona were the better team, and I certainly wouldn't pretend that Villa were particularly close to matching them over the entire 90 minutes. The speed with which they move the ball, the technical ability throughout their midfield and the quality they possess in attacking areas are all outstanding. They're a serious contender in this competition, and there's no shame in acknowledging that they're currently ahead of us.

What I would dispute is the suggestion that Villa were completely outclassed or that there was nothing positive to take from the performance. We created opportunities, responded well to a disastrous opening and had periods where we caused Barcelona problems. We also made mistakes that you simply cannot afford to make against opposition of this calibre, and those mistakes were punished.

Villa have won their opening three Champions League matches and remain in a very good position in the competition, so I don't think this result should lead to any dramatic reassessment of where we are. There are lessons to take from it, particularly around our composure in possession and our ability to make the most of promising attacking situations, but losing away to Barcelona isn't something that should come as a tremendous surprise.

The disappointment for me is that we made an already difficult assignment considerably harder than it needed to be, and I'd have loved to see how the game developed had we managed to keep things level beyond those opening six minutes.