Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Villarreal - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - January 27, 2024 Villarreal's Eric Bailly scores an own goal and FC Barcelona's third REUTERS/Albert Gea
BARCELONA (Reuters) -Barcelona endured a traumatic evening as visitors Villarreal scored two stoppage-time goals to secure a 5-3 LaLiga win on Saturday before their coach Xavi Hernandez announced he was stepping down as manager at the end of the season.
Barca remained third in the standings on 44 points, 10 behind leaders Real Madrid and eight adrift of second-placed Girona.
One week after the match between Real Madrid and Almeria included several refereeing decisions that made the headlines, another two debatable VAR rulings in Barcelona sparked controversy.
Villarreal had an early effort by Gerard Moreno ruled out by referee Jose Munuera, who considered that a player in an offside position had interfered with play, a decision that left the visitors' players and manager Marcelino fuming.
Although Barca were in control with 70% possession, however, it was Villarreal who opened up a 2-0 lead with goals from Moreno in the 41st minute and Ilias Akhomach in the 54th.
First they caught the hosts napping from a throw-in as Alexander Sorloth reacted quickly to deliver a fine low cross to Moreno who unleashed a first-time strike into the top corner before Ilias Akhomach made the most of defender Joao Cancelo's mistake.
Barcelona fought back in an 11-minute spell, however, through strikes by Ilkay Gundogan and Pedri eight minutes later before an own goal from Eric Bailly as he tried to clear Frenkie de Jong's free kick in the 71st minute.
Villarreal responded when Sorloth started another quick counter attack with a great long pass to Goncalo Guedes, who collected the ball in his stride before firing home the equaliser six minutes from time.
Barca went on the attack and were awarded a penalty for a Santi Comesana handball in the 90th minute. However, after a VAR check the referee changed his decision despite the video replay clearly showing the ball had hit his elbow.
With Barca pushing for a winner their defence was exposed and Sorloth and Jose Luis Morales struck to secure the points.
"In the end I am going to be sanctioned, I don't care, you analyse it yourselves, I don't want to generate more controversy," Xavi told DAZN.
"No excuses but that (Comesana penalty incident) decides the match. The fourth official told me it was a clear penalty. Munuera went to the monitor and said no. I don't want to talk any more, there are the images.
"The normal thing was that we would have won 4-2 but when you leave the rival alive that is what happens ... We have it in our hands and it's slipping away from us."
Villarreal climbed to to 14th in the standings on 23 points.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Ed Osmond and Ken Ferris)
