Barcelona secured a commanding 5-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday night, with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha both scoring twice.
However, the La Liga clash was marred by a concerning knee injury to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Villarreal started brightly and thought they had taken an early lead when Yeremy Pino found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Barcelona capitalized on the reprieve and took the lead in the 20th minute.
Lewandowski expertly converted a precise pass from Pablo Torre, making Villarreal pay for their defensive lapse.
The Polish striker added a second in the 35th minute, turning in from close range after Eric Garcia’s header, from a Lamine Yamal cross, was parried by Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Conde.
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Villarreal responded quickly, pulling one back in the 38th minute when Ayoze Perez slotted home following a well-timed pass from Nicolas Pepe.
Moments later, Barcelona suffered a significant blow as Ter Stegen was stretchered off after landing awkwardly.
There are growing concerns that the German shot-stopper could face an extended spell on the sidelines due to the severity of his knee injury.
Despite the setback, Barcelona remained in control and extended their lead in the 58th minute.
Pablo Torre found the bottom corner with a superb strike from outside the box.
Lewandowski had the chance to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 66th minute but struck the post.
Villarreal’s defense struggled throughout, and Raphinha added a brace to seal the comprehensive victory.
The win keeps Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings, preserving their four-point lead over defending champions Real Madrid.
