LaLiga: Barcelona Maintain Perfect La Liga Record Despite Ter Stegen Injury Scare
Barcelona defeated Villarreal 5-1 to preserve their 100% La Liga record, but goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a serious injury, casting a shadow over the victory.
Barcelona extended their perfect La Liga start to six wins from six, defeating Villarreal 5-1, despite a worrying injury to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Robert Lewandowski scored twice, missed a penalty, and Raphinha bagged a double, while Pablo Torre also netted.
The victory maintains Barcelona's four-point lead over reigning champions Real Madrid. However, Ter Stegen's first-half injury marred the triumph. The German international's knee buckled while catching the ball, and he was carried off on a stretcher. Coach Hansi Flick described the injury as “very serious.”
Match Summary
Barcelona dominated the match, with 17-year-old Lamine Yamal hitting the woodwork and Raphinha having an effort cleared off the line. Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 20th minute, converting from Torre's pass. Lewandowski acrobatically hooked in the rebound after home goalkeeper Diego Conde parried Eric Garcia's effort, doubling Barcelona's lead.
Villarreal pulled one back through Ayoze Perez's first-time finish from Nicolas Pepe's low cross. Yeremy Pino headed against the crossbar as the hosts pushed for an equalizer. However, Torre restored Barcelona's two-goal advantage.
Lewandowski missed a penalty, hitting the post, but Raphinha scored twice late on to seal the win. Inaki Pena, Ter Stegen's replacement, made a crucial save to deny Pepe.
Post-Match Reaction:
Lewandowski praised the team's response after their Champions League loss to Monaco. “It was very important that we bounced back away from home and scored five goals and got three points,” he said.
Coach Hansi Flick expressed concern over Ter Stegen's condition. “I think it's a very serious injury. When he lay on the ground, you could see it straight away.”
Standings:
Barcelona leads La Liga with 18 points from six matches, four points clear of Real Madrid.
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