Barcelona recorded an impressive 5-1 win at Villarreal on Sunday evening in a match marred by an injury to Marc-Andre ter Stegen. After seeing a Villarreal goal ruled out for offside, Barcelona got their noses in front when Robert Lewandowski neatly turned home from Pablo Torre’s exquisite pass in the 20th minute. The Polish striker scored his second of the game - and sixth of the season - moments later, acrobatically bundling the ball over the line after a wicked Lamine Yamal cross caused panic inside Villarreal’s box.
But Villarreal quickly got themselves back into the contest when Barcelona’s defence switched off and Nicolas Pepe teed up Ayoze Perez to make it 2-1.
The mood inside the Estadio de la Ceramica changed when Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen suffered what appears to be a serious knee injury in injury time. The German landed awkwardly after making a catch and had to be taken off on a stretcher, sparking fears that he could be sidelined for some time.
Inaki Pena came on and he was called into action early in the second half to deny Pepe’s fierce strike. The former Arsenal winger also saw a goal disallowed for offside.
The visitors were being made to sweat but Torre restored their two-goal lead on the hour mark. Lewandowski was then handed the chance to complete his hat-trick but he saw his penalty come off the post, before Raphinha put the cherry on top of his fine individual display with two late goals to make it 5-1.
The scoreline perhaps flattered the Blaugrana - Villarreal saw three goals chalked off - but Hansi Flick and his players, who have won all six La Liga matches this season, won't care.
Barcelona's Injury Crisis Deepens
The injury to Ter Stegen comes at a particularly bad time for Barcelona, who are already dealing with a number of absentees. The club is currently without Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Ronald Araújo, Marc Bernal, and Fermín López due to injuries. With ter Stegen now added to that list, Barcelona will be hoping that the rest of their squad can stay healthy as they look to maintain their perfect start to the season.
The injury to the German international tainted what was otherwise a good day for Barça, who scored five times to make it six wins from six in LaLiga this season and remain four points clear at the top of the table.
Hansi Flick's Rotation Strategy
Barça coach Hansi Flick confirmed the injury appears to be “huge and serious,” but added he could not offer any timeframe until further tests have been carried out. The injury to Ter Stegen, who was taken to a hospital close to Villarreal's Estadio de la Cerámica, could even be out for as long as eight months, which would rule him out for the rest of the season. Ter Stegen joins a lengthy injury list at Barça, with Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Fermín López and Dani Olmo all currently out of action as well.
Despite that, Barça have managed to win all six of their opening LaLiga games, with Flick once again putting his faith in youngsters at Villarreal by handing first starts of the season to Sergi Domínguez and Pablo Torre, while Gerard Martín also came into the side at left-back.
“These rotations are normal, we have played many games with great effort and we have had to make some changes,” Flick told DAZN. “Since the beginning of the preseason we have seen a lot of Dominguez and he has improved a lot. Nobody expected this improvement and he deserves it.”
Flick also had some words for Lamine Yamal who was named in the starting XI yet again in what will be his ninth appearance of the season for club and country. “In the end he has a lot of potential and can continue to grow a lot. It is important to take care of him, you have to be calm with him, you cannot praise him so much. You have to be cautious.” he said.
A Bittersweet Victory
A brace from Robert Lewandowski -- his fifth and sixth goals in LaLiga this season -- gave Barça a 2-0 lead at Villarreal before Ayoze Pérez pulled a goal back for the break. The home side then flew out of the traps in the second half, having the second of three goals disallowed for offside and hitting the crossbar before Pablo Torre restored Barça's two-goal lead having set up the opener for Lewandowski.
Raphinha then scored twice to wrap up the three points for Barça, the second after a sublime Lamine Yamal pass, after Thierno Barry's header had been ruled out for offside. There were some unsavoury moments in the latter stages of the match, with Yamal subjected to some rough challenges as the Villarreal players grew frustrated.
“We have to protect every player,” Flick said when asked about how Yamal was treated. “I haven't seen the situations so clear, maybe when analyse the game I can say more, but I don't want to speak too much about Lamine. He's doing great, he has a lot of quality, but also the other players are. Lewandowski and Raphinha with goals today, our centre defenders, our midfield is really creative. We are a team in defence and attack, a compact unit... a team that loves to play for each other.”
Looking Ahead
The victory over Villarreal extends Barcelona’s perfect start to the season, but the loss of Ter Stegen is a major blow. Barcelona will be hoping that he can recover quickly, but the club will need to find a way to cope without him for the foreseeable future. With their next game against Getafe on Wednesday, Barcelona will be looking to continue their winning streak, despite the injury concerns.
Despite the injury, Barcelona's performance was still impressive, as they demonstrated their dominance over Villarreal, showcasing their attacking power and resilience throughout the game. Barcelona is poised to continue their dominance and remain a formidable force in La Liga and beyond.
