Internal combustion engine with injection device arranged in the cylinder barrel, and method for operating an internal combustion engine of said type

A direct-injection internal combustion engine comprising:

• a cylinder head with a cylinder, the cylinder having at least one inlet opening for supply of combustion air via an intake system and at least one outlet opening for discharge of exhaust gases via an exhaust-gas discharge system, the cylinder further comprising a combustion chamber which is jointly formed by a piston crown of a piston, by a cylinder barrel which laterally delimits the combustion chamber, and by the cylinder head, the piston being movable along a piston longitudinal axis between a bottom dead center and a top dead center;
• and
• an injection device positioned in the cylinder barrel for direct introduction of fuel into the combustion chamber, which injection device has at least one opening which, during a course of an injection process, is configured to be activated to introduce fuel into the combustion chamber,
• the injection device having a curved front face which terminates flush, at a combustion chamber side, with a curved face of the cylinder barrel.