On 27 August one of the matches of the 3rd round of the Spanish football championship took place. Villarreal (Spain) and Barcelona (Spain) met.
Spanish Championship, 3rd round
Villarreal (Spain) - Barcelona (Spain) - 3:4 ( 2:2)
Goals: J. Foyt (26), A. Serlot (40), Baena (50) - Gavi (12), de Jong (15), F. Torres (68), Lewandowski (71).
Warnings: L. Yamal (44), J. Foyt (45+6), Lewandowski (45+6), R. Terraz (57), Matteo Gabbia (80), Eric Garcia (83)
In a thrilling La Liga encounter at the Estadio de la Ceramica, Barcelona defeated Villarreal 4-3. With the score at 2-2 at half-time, both teams showed their attacking prowess, leaving the fans in suspense until the final whistle. The match was rife with goals, cards and substitutions, which added to the tension on the pitch. "Barcelona wasted no time, and in the 12th minute Gavi opened the scoring. The young midfielder showed great composure, and his goal was decisive for Barcelona. Just three minutes later, Frenkie de Jong doubled the lead, stunning the Villarreal defence. However, Villarreal were quick to respond and Juan Foyth scored in the 26th minute. The Argentine defender took advantage of a mistake in Barcelona's defence and saved his team. Before the break, Alexander Sorloth finished off Villarreal's counter attack by slotting the ball past the Barcelona goalkeeper and the score was 2-2. The first half was also not without yellow cards. L. Yamal and R. Lewandowski, as well as Juan Foyt from Villarreal, got into the referee's notebook. At half-time, Barcelona made a substitution: instead of Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen appeared on the pitch. However, Villarreal's joy was short-lived, as on 68 minutes Ferran Torres levelled the score in Barcelona's favour. Torres showed his speed and agility to beat the Villarreal defence and scored the decisive goal for his team.
After that, both teams made a few substitutions to freshen up their line-ups. Villarreal had Etienne Capoue, Samuel Comesana and Ismael Ahomac, while Barcelona had a trio of players: Ansu Fati, F. Lopez and I. Gündogan. In the end, however, Barcelona won the game. Robert Lewandowski scored the winning goal in the visitors' goal on 71 minutes, which caused jubilation of Barcelona fans. Villarreal made one last attempt to equalise, but Barcelona's defence held firm until the final whistle. Barcelona received a flurry of yellow cards in the final minutes of the match as Mattia Gabbia and Eric Garcia were cautioned. In addition, both teams made late substitutions: Villarreal's Denis Parejo and Benjamin Brereton Diaz came on the pitch, while Barcelona's Ansu Fati and F. Lopez were substituted. The match was pulsating, showing the attacking prowess and determination of both teams. Seven goals, a lot of cards, several substitutions - the fans witnessed an exciting match between two competitive teams. Barcelona's victory will give the Catalan club confidence to continue their fight for the La Liga title. On the other hand, Villarreal, despite the defeat, showed a decent game and will be looking to bounce back in the next match. Overall, this match will be remembered for its goal extravaganza and exciting action. Football fans around the world certainly enjoyed this exciting encounter at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
In the next round the following matches await the rivals: Cadiz - Villarreal, Osasuna - Barcelona.
| Villarreal | Barcelona | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Kicks to the goal | 11 |
| 12 | Kicks | 21 |
| 4 | Blocked shots | 6 |
| 9 | Penalty kicks | 15 |
| 3 | Penalty kicks | 6 |
| 12 | Offences | 13 |
| 2 | Corner | 6 |
| 5 | Offsides | 3 |
| 39% | Ball possession | 61% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 7 | Keeper saves | 3 |
| 374 | Total assists | 585 |
| 321 | Accurate assists | 535 |
| 86% | Accuracy of passes | 91% |