Barcelona dominates Villarreal to extend La Liga lead

March 01, 2026 / 12:52 AM

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Barcelona delivered a commanding 4-1 victory over Villarreal in the 26th round of the Spanish La Liga, strengthening their position at the top of the table.

Lamine Djamel stars with hat-trick

Young forward Lamine Djamel was the standout player, scoring a hat-trick in the 28th, 37th, and 69th minutes. Substitute Robert Lewandowski added a fourth goal in stoppage time (90+1), while Senegalese midfielder Pape Gueye scored Villarreal’s lone goal in the 49th minute.

Barcelona secures top spot

The win marked Barcelona’s 21st victory in La Liga, giving them 64 points—four points ahead of Real Madrid, who play Getafe on Monday. The triumph also provides a morale boost ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, after losing the first leg 4-0.

Villarreal held in third place

Villarreal suffered their first defeat following two consecutive league wins, keeping their points total at 51 and maintaining third place in the La Liga standings.