Barcelona suffered a surprising defeat at their own stadium as Villarreal emerged victorious in an exhilarating match, scoring a total of eight goals.

Gerard Moreno and Alexander Sorloth were the heroes for Villarreal CF as they secured a thrilling 5-3 victory over FC Barcelona at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The result marked Barcelona’s second defeat in four days and dealt a blow to their hopes of closing the gap on the top two teams in La Liga.

Villarreal took the lead in the 41st minute through a brilliant finish from Gerard Moreno, who was assisted by Alexander Sorloth. The visitors then doubled their advantage in the 54th minute when Ilias Chakkour capitalized on a mistake from Joao Cancelo to round the goalkeeper and score.

However, Barcelona staged a remarkable comeback, scoring three goals in the space of 12 minutes. Ilkay Gundogan pulled one back, Pedri’s deflected strike leveled the scores, and Eric Bailly’s own-goal completed the turnaround.

Villarreal responded well to the setback and equalized through Goncalo Guedes. In a dramatic twist, they scored two more goals in stoppage time to secure the victory. Alexander Sorloth capitalized on a defensive error from Barcelona, and Jose Luis Morales rounded off a devastating counter-attack to compound the hosts’ misery.

The match highlighted Barcelona’s defensive problems, as they conceded five goals in a home match for the first time since August 1994. Xavi’s side has now conceded 19 goals in January alone, more than any other team in the top five European leagues. The pressure is mounting on the former midfielder to turn things around quickly.

The standout player of the match was Alexander Sorloth, who made a significant impact for Villarreal. He provided two assists and scored a crucial goal to secure the victory. Sorloth’s determination and involvement in the match, contesting a joint-high 17 duels, earned him the Player of the Match award.

Player ratings for Barcelona saw some underwhelming performances, with goalkeeper Inaki Pena and defenders Christensen and Fort receiving low scores. On the other hand, Villarreal’s Jorgensen, Guedes, and Capoue impressed with their performances.

The match highlights showcased the thrilling nature of the encounter, with goals from Gerard Moreno, Chakkour, Gundogan, Pedri, Bailly (own-goal), Guedes, Sorloth, and Morales. The late goals in stoppage time sealed the victory for Villarreal and left the Barcelona fans stunned.

In terms of key stats, Barcelona’s defensive frailties were evident, while Villarreal’s ability to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes proved crucial in securing the victory.