Villarreal produced a dramatic comeback to defeat newly crowned La Liga champions Barcelona 3-2 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Saturday, securing a top-five finish and a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Despite early celebrations following their 28th league title clinched on Thursday, Barcelona were unable to maintain momentum against a determined Villarreal side.
The Catalans had celebrated the title win with more than 650,000 fans on the streets of Barcelona just a day before the match.
Former Premier League striker Ayoze Pérez opened the scoring for Villarreal in the 4th minute, converting a low cross from Nicolas Pépé.
Barcelona responded strongly, with 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal equalising midway through the first half with a signature left-footed curler—his ninth league goal of the season.
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In first-half stoppage time, Fermin Lopez gave Barcelona the lead with a thunderous half-volley after Villarreal failed to clear a cross. However, the home side’s advantage was short-lived.
Just five minutes into the second half, Santi Comesaña latched onto a well-weighted through-ball from Yeremy Pino and coolly chipped over Marc-André ter Stegen to level the score.
Villarreal completed the comeback late in the match when substitute Tajon Buchanan tapped in a low cross at the far post.
The result leaves Villarreal comfortably in the top five, eight points clear of sixth-placed Real Betis with one game remaining.
Meanwhile, the defeat highlights a recurring issue for Barcelona this season—conceding first. The Catalans have now allowed the opening goal in 20 matches across all competitions.
The encounter continued the high-scoring trend between the two sides, with 26 goals scored in their last four league meetings—Barcelona netting 14 and Villarreal 12—making it La Liga’s most prolific fixture since the start of last season.
