Match ends, Villarreal 3, Barcelona 4.
VillarrealVillarreal3BarcelonaBarcelona4
Defending La Liga champions Barcelona emerged 4-3 winners in an all-action encounter at Villarreal.
Robert Lewandowski's goal sealed the win for Barca, three minutes after Ferran Torres' equaliser.
Villarreal came back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 after 50 minutes, with goals from Juan Foyth, Alexander Sorloth and Alex Baena.
Barca had raced into an early lead after 15 minutes when Gavi and Frenkie de Jong scored for the visitors.
Gavi headed in from a Lamine Yamal cross before De Jong got on the end of a Lewandowski backheel in the box.
Yamal's assist saw him become the youngest player to assist a goal in a La Liga game in the 21st century, aged 16 years and 45 days.
Foyth headed home from Baena's corner before Sorloth equalised following an excellent team move by the Yellow Submarine.
Baena got on the scoresheet early in the second half, curling past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Villarreal were then pegged back as Torres scored Barcelona's equaliser from close range, before Lewandowski's finish from close range secured the three points for Barca from a dramatic contest.
Xavi's side are now third with three games played, two points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Line-ups
Villarreal
Formation 4-4-2
- 13Jörgensen
- 8FoythBooked at 45mins
- 2GabbiaBooked at 80mins
- 5Cuenca
- 24Pedraza
- 20TerratsBooked at 57minsSubstituted forComesañaat 70'minutes
- 6CapoueSubstituted forD Suárezat 70'minutes
- 10ParejoSubstituted forBrereton Díazat 86'minutes
- 16BaenaSubstituted forMoralesat 77'minutes
- 7MorenoSubstituted forAkhomachat 70'minutes
- 11Sørloth
Substitutes
- 1Reina
- 3Albiol
- 4Comesaña
- 9Brereton Díaz
- 14Trigueros
- 15Morales
- 17Femenía
- 21Pino
- 22D Suárez
- 23Mandi
- 26Alti
- 27Akhomach
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 1ter Stegen
- 20Roberto
- 23Koundé
- 15ChristensenSubstituted forGarcíaat 45'minutesBooked at 82mins
- 17Alonso
- 22GündoganSubstituted forLópezat 86'minutes
- 18RomeuSubstituted forF Torresat 63'minutes
- 21F de Jong
- 27YamalBooked at 44minsSubstituted forAnsu Fatiat 76'minutes
- 9LewandowskiBooked at 45mins
- 6Gavi
Substitutes
- 7F Torres
- 10Ansu Fati
- 16Ezzalzouli
- 24García
- 26Astralaga
- 28Balde
- 30Casadó
- 31Kochen
- 32López
- 33Cubarsí
- Referee:
- Alejandro José Hernández Hernández
- Attendance:
- 21,679
Match Stats
Home TeamVillarrealAway TeamBarcelona
- Possession
- Home39%
- Away61%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away21
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away11
- Corners
- Home2
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Villarreal 3, Barcelona 4.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jorge Cuenca (Villarreal) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right.
Post update
Foul by Gavi (Barcelona).
Post update
Santi Comesaña (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ben Brereton Díaz (Villarreal) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by José Luís Morales.
Post update
Foul by Fermín López (Barcelona).
Post update
Denis Suárez (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Filip Jörgensen.
Post update
Attempt saved. Fermín López (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Frenkie de Jong.
Post update
Attempt saved. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ferran Torres with a through ball.
Post update
Offside, Villarreal. Alfonso Pedraza tries a through ball, but Alexander Sørloth is caught offside.
Post update
Foul by Gavi (Barcelona).
Post update
Ilias Akhomach (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Offside, Villarreal. Jorge Cuenca tries a through ball, but José Luís Morales is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Fermín López replaces Ilkay Gündogan.
Substitution
Substitution, Villarreal. Ben Brereton Díaz replaces Dani Parejo.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ansu Fati (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ansu Fati (Barcelona) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Marcos Alonso with a headed pass.
Comments
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They need to protect and nurture his development.
Spanish leagues have some interesting teams and devote followers, some teams almost a cult following.
English football now sanitised, it’s all about projecting corporate or regimes owners, no passion no supporters just money power.
They scrape through against a bang average team - so what ????