Author: Serg Atrakhov, Vishwajit Sawant
Villarreal – Barcelona – 3:4
In the fifth minute, Sorlot put the hosts ahead, but his goal was disallowed. And ten minutes later, Villarreal were trailing 0-2 – Gavi (12th minute) and de Jong (15th minute) showed class in attack.
But just before the break, the hosts leveled the score. In the 25th minute, Foyt scored with a header and in the 40th minute, Sorlot scored (this time without being offside). At the start of the second half, Baena scored against Barcelona. So, after trailing 0-2, Villarreal took the lead – 3-2. Almost immediately, Lamin Yamal managed to increase the lead by hitting the crossbar.
If he had scored, Barça might not have been able to recover… And so, in the 67th minute, Ferran Torres made it 3-3 and, in the 71st minute, Lewandowski (finishing the ball after hitting the post) gave Xavi’s team a brilliant victory: 4-3.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández acknowledged the rollercoaster of the game, saying: “It was a crazy game, which was our fault. We were dominating at 2-0, although Villarreal got off to a good start. From then on, however, the game was ours, but then we gave away too much.” He emphasized the defensive improvements needed, but expressed satisfaction with the team’s attacking ability and patience in the second half.
The victory marked Barcelona’s second win in three games this season, putting them in third place in the LaLiga standings with seven points, sharing the place with Girona. They trail leaders Real Madrid by just two points, underlining the intense competition that is shaping the early stages of the season.
🎙️ Los protagonistas hablan sobre el #VillarrealBarça pic.twitter.com/MhYm3f2TaW
– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) August 28, 2023
Brazilian star Raphinha was absent from the matchday squad, as the winger is being linked with a move to Al- Nassr in the Saudi Arabian Professional League. The Saudi Pro-League side are expected to make a move for the Brazilian as the transfer window draws to a close.
Cádiz – Almeria – 1:1
From the 50th minute onwards, the guests played in the minority (Gonzalez received his second yellow card). Immediately after the sending-off, the coach replaced the midfielder with Brazilian defender Kaiki. Having lost in their first two games (Rayo Vallecano 0-2 and Real Madrid – 13), Almeria were close to a third defeat, soon losing 0-1. But in the 95th minute, the former Santos player struck the ball with precision into the right-hand corner, bringing the team level – 1-1.
Seville – Girona – 1:2
After a draw with Real Sociedad (1:1) and a win over Getafe (3:0), Girona beat reigning Europa League Cup holders Sevilla away from home. Brazilian guest Sávio, on loan from Atlético Mineiro, could have scored in the 86th minute, but hit the post. Remember that the 19-year-old striker is the youngest player in the history of the Brazilian Serie A. In the 2020 season, he made his debut in the championship at the age of 16 years and 5 months. In the 78th minute, another Brazilian came on for Girona – Kouto.