In a roller-coaster game, it finally ended with three points to Villareal with two scores deep into overtime.
In the 99th minute, Sørloth wrangled in the 4-3 goal which ensured three points for the yellow jerseys. Soon after, Jose Luis Morales added to make it 5–3.
The performance of the Norwegian is praised by LaLiga expert Petter Veland.
Alexander Sørloth with what HAS to be the best ever performance by a Norwegian player in LaLiga, perhaps only topped by John Carew’s hat-trick for Valencia against Villarreal 23 years ago.
Assisted on 0-1 to Gerard Moreno, assisted on 3-3 to Gonçalo Guedes and himself set…
— Petter Veland (@PetterVeland) January 27, 2024
Sørloth also contributed to the first of the game when he got the ball at his feet from a throw-in just before the break. The Norwegian turned away Oriol Romeu, before setting up Gerard Moreno perfectly. The latter hammered in 1-0 from 13 metres.
Eight minutes after the break, João Cancelo miscalculated as the man at the back and Ilias Akhomach was through in the back room. The 19-year-old rounded Iñaki Peña in the Barcelona goal and rolled in 2–0.
Akhomach went through the ranks in the Catalan club and did not celebrate the goal.
Just minutes later, Ilkay Gündogan reduced the score to 1-2, and in the 68th minute Pedri scored to make it 2-2.
In the 71st minute, the home team completed the turnaround. Gündogan tipped a free-kick into the box and Eric Bailly headed in 3-2 in his own net.
However, it did not stop there. Seven minutes before the end, Sørloth played Goncalo Guedes free in the back room. The latter hammered home 3-3.
Nine minutes into overtime, the Norwegian appeared again and ensured a new twist in the match. The Barcelona defense failed to clear the ball and Sørloth slipped in 4–3.
The Catalans sent everything up in attack in search of another equaliser. Instead, the yellow jerseys countered with the game’s eighth and final goal