Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha each scored twice as Barcelona cruised to a 5-1 victory over Villarreal on Sunday, in a thrilling match that kept their perfect start to La Liga intact.
The league leaders secured their sixth consecutive win, but the triumph was overshadowed by a potentially serious knee injury to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was stretchered off.
Lewandowski opened the scoring with two early goals and later missed a penalty in a lively encounter at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica. Ayoze Pérez gave the hosts hope just before half-time, but two disallowed goals for Villarreal, alongside strikes from Pablo Torre and Raphinha, sealed the win for Barcelona.
Barcelona restored their four-point lead at the top of the table, maintaining distance from second-placed Real Madrid, who defeated Espanyol 4-1 the day before.
Hansi Flick, Barca’s coach, gave Eric Garcia another start in defensive midfield despite his early red card in the Champions League midweek. Flick also fielded reserve team players Gerard Martin and Sergi Dominguez, while playmaker Torre replaced the injured Dani Olmo.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal came close early on, hitting the post, before Lewandowski scored in the 20th minute after being set up by Torre. Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Conde initially saved a bundled effort from Lewandowski, but the Polish striker doubled Barcelona’s lead in the 35th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Conde blocked Eric Garcia’s header.
Villarreal posed a constant threat on the counterattack, and Pérez pulled one back for the hosts, assisted by the dynamic Nicolas Pepe. Ter Stegen made a stunning save to deny Pepe in a one-on-one before half-time but injured himself shortly after, awkwardly landing after catching a corner. He was replaced by Iñaki Peña.
Pepe appeared to equalize early in the second half, but his goal was disallowed for offside, and Yeremy Pino struck the crossbar with a header as Villarreal pushed forward. However, Barcelona regained control when Torre’s deflected shot from the edge of the box extended their lead, a crucial blow as Villarreal seemed to be gaining momentum.
Lewandowski hit the post from a penalty after Eric Bailly fouled Yamal, while Villarreal’s Thierno Barry also had a goal disallowed for offside. Raphinha then secured the victory with two late goals—first with a deflected shot and then with a calm finish following a brilliant pass from Yamal.
Despite the commanding win and perfect start to the season, Ter Stegen’s injury, if severe, could be a significant setback for Barcelona’s title ambitions.
