Barcelona’s 3-2 defeat to Villarreal on May 18, 2025, at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, marked a surprising end to their La Liga campaign. Despite having already secured the league title, the loss highlighted vulnerabilities within the team, particularly in defense.
Villarreal opened the scoring in the 4th minute through Ayoze Pérez. Barcelona responded with goals from Lamine Yamal and Fermín López, taking a 2-1 lead into halftime. However, Villarreal equalized early in the second half via Santi Comesaña, and Tajon Buchanan secured the win in the 80th minute.
Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen faced criticism for his performance, conceding three goals from as many shots on target. While there have been discussions about potential changes in the squad, including the futures of high-profile players, there is no official statement from the club indicating that any player has been given an ultimatum to leave within a week or face contract termination.
The defeat also marked Barcelona’s first league loss since December, ending an impressive unbeaten streak. Despite the setback, the team celebrated their league title, having already secured the top spot with 85 points.
As the club looks ahead, addressing defensive inconsistencies will be crucial to maintaining their dominance in domestic competitions and improving their performance in European tournaments.