Barcelona seemed firmly in the driver’s seat when Gavi netted in the 15th minute, followed by Frenkie de Jong’s goal three minutes later, establishing a 2-0 lead, reports Xinhua.
However, Villarreal mounted a spirited comeback. Juan Foyth’s commanding header in the 26th minute and Alexander Sorloth’s exquisite finish in the 40th minute equalized the scores.
Four minutes into the second half, Alex Baena’s curveball went past Marc Andre Ter Stegen, placing Villarreal in the lead.
In the 67th minute, Lamine crafted an assist for Ferran Torres to even the score for Barca. Shortly after, Robert Lewandowski sealed the victory with a close-range shot, rebounding from Lamine’s initial effort that hit the post.
In other matches, Osasuna halted Valencia’s flawless season start with a 2-1 victory at the Mestalla Stadium, gearing up for their Thursday’s Conference League clash in Bruges.
Nacho Vidal’s last-minute goal in the 95th minute secured the win for Pamplona, just after it seemed Hugo Duro’s 80th-minute strike would save Valencia a point. This followed Aimar Oroz’s earlier penalty goal.
Athletic Bilbao displayed resilience, coming back from a 2-0 deficit against Betis at home. Willian Jose and Isco’s early goals for Betis were counteracted by two Bilbao penalties converted by Mikel Vesga and a Gorka Guruzeta score, leading 3-2 at halftime. Bilbao continued their dominance in the second half, with young talent Unai Gomez rounding off a 4-2 win.
On Saturday, Sevilla faced a 2-1 home defeat to Girona, marking their gloomiest season commencement with three consecutive losses.
Yangel Herrera’s 16th-minute goal for Girona was balanced by Nemanja Gudelj before halftime. However, Aleix Garcia restored Girona’s lead after the break. Controversially, Sevilla had a goal disallowed and a penalty denied after VAR consultations.
In a gripping finale, Kaily’s 95th-minute goal granted Almeria their season’s first point in a 1-1 draw against Cadiz, despite playing with 10 men for nearly half the game due to Edgar Gonzalez’s dismissal. Cadiz’s initial lead, courtesy of central defender Luis Hernandez, made the outcome seem like a missed opportunity.
Granada secured their maiden season points with a 3-2 triumph over Mallorca. Miguel Angel, Bryan Zaragoza and Myrto Uzuni were the scorers for the hosts.
Another Saturday fixture saw Jude Bellingham net his fourth goal in three matches, providing Real Madrid a slender 1-0 victory against Celta Vigo.
Celta rued an annulled Strand Larsen goal due to a foul on debutant Real Madrid keeper Kepa. In addition, Rodrygo’s penalty attempt was expertly denied by Celta’s Ivan Villar.
Real Madrid’s woes deepened with a potential hamstring injury to Vinicius Jr, possibly sidelining him for a few weeks.
The weekend commenced with Las Palmas and Real Sociedad settling for a 0-0 draw, marking Real Sociedad’s third consecutive draw this season.
–IANS
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