A multi-goal performance from striker Robert Lewandowski, 36, who is still a world-class player in his mid-30s, helped Barcelona to its sixth straight win to open the Spanish Primera Liga (La Liga).
Head coach Pep Guardiola's side thrashed Villarreal 5-1 away at the Estadio de la Ceramica in Villarreal, Spain, on Sept. 22 (local time) in the sixth round of the 2024-2025 La Liga.
With the win, Barcelona has now won all six of its matches since the start of the league and has 18 points to overtake Real Madrid (W4 D2 L14) at the top of the standings.
The last three games have been particularly strong. After crushing Valladolid 7-0 at the end of last month, Barcelona thrashed Girona 4-1 on Thursday, another four-goal win. In three games, they have scored 16 goals and conceded just two.
The 1988-born striker Lewandowski has been the spearhead, scoring six goals in six games.
Today was another multi-goal outburst. After opening the scoring in the 20th minute with a hard right-footed strike, Lewandowski rattled the net with a bicycle kick in the 35th minute after a flurry of activity in the box.
Lewandowski found the back of the net again in the second half. With the score 3-1, he stepped up to take a penalty kick in the 22nd minute.
But Lewandowski's low shot hit the post and bounced away, denying him a hat trick.
After conceding a 38th-minute goal to Ayoze Perez in the first half, Barcelona took a 3-1 lead 13 minutes into the second half when rookie midfielder Pablo Torre, born in 2003, scored.
After Lewandowski took over the baton, Zapina scored back-to-back goals in the 29th and 38th minutes to complete the 5-1 victory.
However, Flick wasn't all smiles after the big win.
His starting goalkeeper, Marc-André Ter Stegen, was badly injured in the first half and left the field on a stretcher.
Thierstegen lost his center of gravity while battling for an aerial ball with Villarreal players on a corner kick in the 44th minute and fell to the ground, clutching his right knee in pain.
Local media outlets, including Spain's AS, suggested that Ter Stegen could be out for as long as eight months.
In his post-match press conference, Flick said: “We are happy with the 5-1 win, but it's a sad day for Thierstegen because he is so badly injured. For now, we have to wait for further information.” 바카라사이트