2023-08-27 18:18:02
BARCELONA (AP) — Robert Lewandowski made his debut as a goalscorer in the Spanish league on Sunday, converting the goal that capped Barcelona’s comeback to beat Villarreal 4-3 on the road.
The victory at the La Cerámica stadium allowed Barça to rise to third position with seven points and not lose track of leader Real Madrid, who is on a perfect pace with nine points. The meringues beat Celta de Vigo 1-0 to open the third date.
Lewandowski, the top scorer last season, crowned the great reaction of the reigning champions after 71 minutes. The Polish forward pushed a rebound off the post from a shot from Lamine Yamal, the 16-year-old teenager who was once again the revulsive in the Barca attack.
Three minutes earlier, Ferran Torres had made it 3-3 by finishing off a goal after a series of rebounds in the “Yellow Submarine” area.
“We didn’t take the game where we wanted and they brought us back because they are very good. Then we played our game and the other goals came,” said Torres.
During the first half, Barça took a 2-0 lead with goals from Gavi and Frenkie de Jong before the quarter hour. Yamal assisted with a cross to the far post for the first.
Villarreal reacted and tied 2-2 in the first half through goals from Argentine defender Juan Foyth (26 minutes) and Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth (40).
Those led by Quique Setién went ahead 3-2 thanks to a goal from Álex Baena (50) after a counterattack.
Down on the scoreboard, the Catalans woke up and turned it around with goals from Torres and Lewandowski.
Yamal played his second game in a row as a starter. He came close to celebrating his first goal by smashing a shot off the crossbar moments after Baena’s goal.
The young Barça prodigy was substituted minutes after Lewandowski’s goal, and was applauded by the visiting fans in the La Cerámica stands.
Xavi Hernández followed the game from one of the boxes, after serving his second game suspension after being expelled from the Barça bench during the opening day.
Villarreal was in 13th position with three units. It was the second defeat that Setién has suffered against Barça, the team he led for a brief period in 2020.
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