Football/ La Liga: Barcelona maintain perfect La Liga record despite Ter Stegen injury
Barcelona extended their unbeaten La Liga run with a 5-1 victory over Villarreal, but the win was overshadowed by a serious injury to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The 32-year-old captain suffered a significant knee injury late in the first half and was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.
Backup goalkeeper Iñaki Peña stepped in, making a crucial save to preserve Barça’s lead.
Robert Lewandowski netted twice but missed a penalty, while Raphinha also scored a brace, and Pablo Torre added to the tally.
Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 20th minute, with an acrobatic second soon after.
Villarreal responded with Ayoze Pérez’s goal, and Yeremy Pino hit the crossbar in a push for an equalizer.
Torre restored Barcelona’s two-goal cushion before Lewandowski missed a penalty. Raphinha then sealed the victory with two late strikes.
Despite Ter Stegen’s injury, coach Hansi Flick praised his team’s resilience, especially after a disappointing 2-1 Champions League defeat to Monaco.
With this win, Barça remains four points clear at the top of La Liga, ahead of rivals Real Madrid.
