Barcelona Villarreal needed the Champions League trophy, but Barcelona wanted a joyful farewell to Montjuïc. The Yellow Submarine delivered… And the Blaugrana team followed history, winning only one of nine games this century while celebrating the La Liga victory early. Marcelino’s team defeated them 3-2, their eighth defeat at the Olympic Stadium and 52nd overall.
Barcelona won only one of its eight home games before the league season concluded, against Espanyol in 2006. Villarreal is the only team to win both league games at Montjuïc, with four draws and three losses in their remaining fixtures.
Without tension, the champions could compensate for both the excesses of the previous several days and their tiredness. They also faced an opponent who, albeit not having a pressing need to win, came into the game expecting at least a draw to secure their Champions League qualification.
This resulted in a lethargic game by Barça, despite Flick honoring the competition and leaving no ideas or winks for anyone, playing a top-tier roster, barely allowing Ter Stegen to start in goal, and saving De Jong or Balde for the second half.
Even though Lamine Yamal and his buddies don’t comprehend friendlies or meaningless games, it’s clear that Villarreal was more invested in the game. Suddenly, and with his first chance along the wing, breaking Pepe’s offside trap, Ayoze Pérez scored the 0-1 with a cross into the heart of his teammate’s box, with Ter Stegen sluggish to move and unable to clear the ball.
Fans were obsessed with festivities, remembering Real Madrid, celebrating the title, and focusing on results other than the game itself, making it difficult to get back on track. When they did, they found themselves against a brilliant Luiz Junior… until Lamine said, ‘enough.’
Until he grabbed a ball from the wing, pierced the area on the edge of the box, and knew exactly what he was going to do… The Yellow Submarine goalie could not reach his goal, which he had scored against Espanyol to level. Fermín handled the ball on the edge of the box and scored with a tight, precise shot after Luiz Junior and the top corner saved Lamine Yamal’s brilliant strike.
Barça went into the break with a lead before a second half in which Villarreal tried, and succeeded, to translate their good work on the pitch. Flick’s team didn’t give the impression of being willing to win at any cost to hold on to their advantage, and Santi Comesaña, assisted by Yeremi Pino, leveled the score at 2-2 with the second half’s first chance.
And with everyone playing more for the show, with the crowd’s swell, the party, and the almost nonexistent intensity on the pitch, Buchanan appeared to score the 2-3, freezing a Barça that was too tired to get another bite out of the game.
Barcelona has again demonstrated that celebrating a title triumph with a victory is not part of their game. The tradition was followed: the newly crowned champions ended their campaign with a defeat, putting a pall over what should have been a triumphant ending. While the setback will not tarnish the season’s brilliance or cause deep regret, it did soften the edges of what could have been a magnificent ending.
The joy did not stop with the last whistle. Cheers erupted around the stadium, flags flew high, and the atmosphere was electrifying with pleasure. Barcelona supporters celebrated their team’s La Liga victory, transforming the stands into a sea of red and blue. But the night wasn’t just about them; Villarreal also had reasons to smile. They put up a spirited display, scoring a memorable victory while contributing to the joyous atmosphere. That night, the champions and their opponents had reasons to celebrate.
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