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Barcelona ran riot against against Villarreal after their midweek disappointment against Monaco in the Champions League.
Barcelona started slowly but soon got in their stride as they blew past Villarreal with a 5-1 victory to keep their margin intact at the top of the LALIGA standings.
A first-half brace from Lewandowski gave Barcelona a healthy head-start, but Ayoze Perez halved the margin just before half-time. However, the Blaugrana blew their hosts away in the second half, scoring three goals to clinch a 5-1 result.
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22:23 - 21.09.2024
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21:58 - 21.09.2024
Real Madrid come from behind to blow away Espanyol and keep pace with Barcelona
A rampant second-half from Real Madrid helped them blow away newly-promoted Espanyol.
Key match details
The highly anticipated contest burst into life from the outset, with Yeremy Pino's mesmerising footwork serving as an early warning of Villarreal's potency. Despite the offside flag, Pino's clever finish over Marc-Andre ter Stegen hinted at the thrilling encounter to come.
Barcelona responded in kind, with Lamine Yamal and Pedri narrowly missing the target. Robert Lewandowski's clinical prowess broke the deadlock in the 20th minute as he expertly converted Pablo Torre's pinpoint through ball.
Diego Conde's acrobatic save prevented Lewandowski from doubling the lead, but the Polish striker wouldn't be denied, capitalising on Eric García's header to score again.
Villarreal swiftly reduced the deficit through new signing Ayoze Perez's composed finish after Pepe ran into the swathes of space behind Barcelona’s backline before squaring to the ex-Betis man.
Ter Stegen's heroic block to thwart Pepe’s equaliser was followed by an injury-forced substitution, with Inaki Pena replacing the German goalkeeper.
The second half began tumultuously, with Barry’s disallowed goal and blistering strike testing the Blaugrana’s resolve. Pino's header against the crossbar seemed a harbinger of doom, and Barcelona hit back shortly before the hour mark through Torre's deflected shot to compound their advantage.
Eric Bailly's foul on Yamal conceded a penalty, but Lewandowski's spot-kick clipped the post, offering Villarreal a temporary reprieve. However, Barcelona's relentless pressure told, as Raphinha's deflected shot bounced past Conde. The Brazilian sealed the win with a sublime finish from Yamal's visionary pass, ensuring Barcelona maintained their perfect La Liga start.
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