Villarreal Beat Barcelona To Secure Champions League Place

Villarreal qualified for next season's Champions League with an entertaining 3-2 win at newly-crowned La Liga champions Barcelona on Sunday. Elsewhere Kylian Mbappe struck as Real Madrid won 2-0 at nine-man Sevilla, while Leganes gave themselves a chance of survival with a win at Las Palmas. Barcelona stars celebrated their 28th league title on an open-top bus on Friday but Hansi Flick warned that "those who party, can work" and selected a strong side. However the visitors took the lead through in-form striker Ayoze Perez, who slotted past Marc-Andre ter Stegen after Nicolas Pepe set him up.

Lamine Yamal, who scored a vital goal as Barca clinched the league on Thursday at Espanyol, scored another stunner to level.

The 17-year-old breezed past two defenders and arrowed a shot into the far bottom corner.

Yamal hit the bar before Fermin Lopez sent Barca ahead, walloping home from the edge of the box.

Santi Comesana lofted over Ter Stegen to equalise for the visitors, who nosed in front through Tajon Buchanan in the 80th minute.

Barca fell to their first home defeat of 2025 and also their first league reverse this year, but chants of "champions" rang around the Olympic stadium, on potentially the team's last game there before a return to the renovated Camp Nou next season.

The domestic treble winners were presented with the league trophy at the end of the game to cap a superb first season under Flick.

"We saw a lot of potential in the team... we can improve (Barca) a little a bit, they adapted to the idea of how we want to play and they showed they can play football," said a proud Flick. 

"When you have confidence, everything is possible."

Villarreal booked their return to Europe's top competition as they opened up a big gap