Barcelona 2-3 Villarreal: the champion says goodbye to Montjuïc with an inconsequential defeat

FC Barcelona fell for the first time in LaLiga this 2025, breaking a 17-game unbeaten run. Against Villarreal (2-3), the Azulgrana side added an inconsequential defeat, in the midst of the celebrations for the 28th championship in the Spanish First Division.

Despite having secured the title on the previous matchday, Hansi Flick opted for most of his starters in the last Azulgrana presentation at home. Iñigo and Cubarsí returned to the center of the defense, with Gavi and Fermín López accompanying Pedri in midfield.

Up front, the 'LRL' remained intact, while Eric García and Gerard Martín were again the team's full-backs. Ter Stegen, for the first time since matchday 4, against Valladolid (7-0), was again a starter in Montjuïc. The German was in the XI against Valladolid, but away from home.

Villarreal struck first against Barça with a goal from Ayoze Pérez

The corridor of the Villarreal players to Barcelona

As it corresponded, the 'Yellow Submarine' made the corridor to the champion, while the public in the Lluís Companys enjoyed a sunny afternoon and absolute celebration in the Ciudad Condal. However, the visitors struck early against the always advanced Azulgrana defense.

It only took Villarreal three minutes to break the deadlock. Pepé took advantage of a filtered pass to chip from his own half on the left. The winger passed the ball to Ayoze, who broke the offside trap to finish first-time in the one-on-one against Ter Stegen.

After the 0-1, the visitors had another very clear opportunity in the 7th minute, again with another overflow from Pepé on the left. This time, Yéremy Pino appeared alone to finish in the center of the area, but failed to give direction to a very uncomfortable header.

Barça reacted with two arrivals from Fermín and Lamine, while the Culés completely took over possession. Marcelino's men, on the other hand, were clear about their plan: to maintain a compact block, 4-4-2 close to their area and bet on long balls behind the Catalan defenders.

Furious reaction from Barça with overwhelming dominance before the break

In the 22nd minute, Lewandowski had his first great opportunity to reach the centenary of goals with Barça. Eric served a perfect cross to the Pole's head, but goalkeeper Luíz Junior pulled off an impressive save to send the ball to the corner.

Just afterwards, Pepé again arrived free on the left after a lethal counter-attack from the Yellows, but this time the Catalan defense retreated in time to prevent the Ivorian from finishing comfortably against Ter Stegen. After the hydration break, the Culé dominance was total.

Eric again tested Luíz Junior's reflexes with another header, following a measured cross from Pedri. Raphinha and Lamine tried from medium distance, but the defense of a Villarreal increasingly sunk near their area contained the Culé attack with difficulties.

The best in the world did it again: another great goal with his characteristic stamp

Lamine Yamal, celebrating the equalizing goal against Villarreal

In the 38th minute, Barça again found a solution in attack through the punch of Lamine Yamal. For the third consecutive matchday, the '19' scored a great goal with one of his trademarks: the crossed left-footed shot from the edge of the area.

Just like against Real Madrid in the Clásico, the Mataró native received a pass from Eric, dribbled towards his left foot and found the space to place a perfect shot, adjusted to medium height, impossible for the Villarreal goalkeeper.

It was the youth player's ninth goal in the League, where he also has 13 assists (leader of the tournament). After the equalizer, the match slightly lowered the pace. Ayoze had to leave before the break due to a muscle strain, while Lamine came close to another great goal after a brutal individual action, leaving two rivals sitting with a dribble, which ended with a shot deflected off the crossbar by Junior.

Just afterwards, Fermín López made it 2-1, fishing a short clearance from Juan Foyth with a placed left-footed shot, impossible for the rival goalkeeper. It was the sixth goal of the Huelva native in the tournament and, again, the Cornellà goalscoring duo repeated their work to give the partial victory to a clearly superior Barça.

Statistics of the first half: Barça 2-1 Villarreal

1. Shots: 14-3
2. Shots on goal: 6-1
3. Possession: 72%- 28 %
4. Corners: 7-3
5. Fouls: 3-3
6. Cautions: 1-0
7. Offsides: 2-0

Flick tweaked his lineup after the break, but Villarreal equalized

At halftime, Flick put Frenkie de Jong and Alejandro Balde in for Pedri and Gerard Martín, respectively. Marcelino García, for his part, opted for Thierno Barry to replace the injured Ayoze Pérez. The Spanish coach preferred to finish the first half with ten players so as not to exhaust a window of changes and ended up conceding a goal in added time.

In the 50th minute, the 'Yellow Submarine' scored the partial equalizer, thanks to a good filtered pass by Yéremy Pino to leave Santi Comesaña alone against Ter Stegen. The midfielder chipped it with his right foot in front of the German's exit, enabled by a Balde who came out late.

Villarreal, however, continued to be hit by injuries. Parejo and Pino left touched, with which Marcelino had to use Gueye and Buchanan. Flick, for his part, sent Héctor Fort and Pau Víctor onto the field in the final quarter of an hour for Eric and Lewandowski. The Pole continues to resist the 100th goal with Barça.

Buchanan scored the goal of an inconsequential defeat for Barça

The match progressively lowered the intensity in the final minutes. The Culés created danger with Lamine and Raphinha on the flanks, but the Brazilian was not fine in the definition. 

The Canadian Tajon Buchanan did come on fired up. The forward made it 2-3 with ten minutes to go, taking advantage of a pass from the also introduced Gerard Moreno after a throw-in from the right that caught the Azulgrana defense asleep.

In the last minutes, Barça launched themselves in search of the equalizer, already with Dani Olmo (entered for Gavi) on the field. Baena had an unbeatable opportunity in the 87th minute to score the fourth, but failed with the entire goal at his disposal.

Lamine, for his part, was close to scoring another great goal with a powerful long-range shot that went just wide of the crossbar. Raphinha also tried with a free kick from the front of the area that hit the side of the net.

However, this time there was no comeback and Barça says goodbye to Montjuïc with an inconsequential defeat. The Culés lifted the trophy of a League where they were clearly superior to the rest, defeating 18 of their 19 rivals. Next week, it's time to close the season in Bilbao, against Athletic.

Final statistics: Barça 2-3 Villarreal

1. Shots: 24-7
2. Shots on goal: 9-3
3. Possession: 70 %-30 %
4. Corners: 11-3
5. Fouls: 14-9
6. Cautions: 2-0
7. Offsides: 2-1

Match sheet of the match: FC Barcelona 2-3 Villarreal

• FC Barcelona, 2: Ter Stegen; Eric García (Héctor Fort, min. 74), Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Gerard Martín (Balde, min. 46); Gavi (Olmo, min. 85), Pedri (De Jong, min. 46); Fermín, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha; Lewandowski (Pau Víctor, min. 74)
• Villarreal, 3: Junior; Pau Navarro (Kambwala, min. 65), Foyth, Logan Costa, Sergi Cardona; Comesaña, Parejo (Gueye, min. 58), Pépé (Moreno, min. 77), Baena; Yeremy Pino (Buchanan, min. 65) y Ayoze (Barry, min. 46)
• Goals: 0-1, Ayoze Pérez (min. 4); 1-1, Lamine Yamal (min. 38); 2-1, Fermín López (min. 45+5); 2-2, Santi Comesaña (min. 50); 2-3, Tajon Buchanan (min. 80).
• Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero. Cautioned Eric García, for Barça, in the first half. He also cautioned Dani Olmo before the end.
• Stadium: Olímpico Lluís Companys de Montjuïc.
• Incidents: match corresponding to matchday 37 of LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25.