Barcelona players dedicate Villarreal win to Tito Vilanova

Tito Vilanova

Barcelona: Emotional Barcelona players dedicated Sunday night's comeback victory at Villarreal to former coach Tito Vilanova.

Tito Vilanova

Gerardo Martino's side battled from two goals down to beat the Yellow Submarine 3-2 and stay in the Primera Division title race on an emotional night for the team, who were playing their first game since Vilanova succumbed to throat cancer at the age of 45 on Friday.

"This was one of the most difficult days to play," Xavi said on www.fcbarcelona.com. "We felt it in our bodies. We've lost a leader. He will always be an example. We relied on our pride and grit to win this game. We dedicate it to Tito."

The night began with a moment of remembrance with Vilanova's image shown on the big screens in tribute to the man who guided the Catalan club to the title in 2013.