Tag: Lamine Yamal

A stunning Lamine Yamal strike helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win at local rivals Espanyol on Thursday, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table.

Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble.

Only the Champions League escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2023.

Back then, celebrating Barca players were chased from the field by angry home supporters but this time Espanyol turned on the sprinklers to soak the jubilant visitors, who headed down the tunnel quickly.

Lamine Yamal opened the scoring after 53 minutes of a tense derby clash with a brilliant curling effort, before Lopez added another in the 95th minute to secure victory.

“It’s time to celebrate,” said Barca coach Flick, who said he would demand even more from his team next season.

“It’s in our DNA (to want to learn), it’s normal, and this is what I want from the players, that they always try to get better and they have this hunger, it’s crucial.”

Outside the stadium before the match several Espanyol fans were hit by a car which drove into a big crowd, although none were seriously injured and police said it appeared to be an accident.

Barcelona were seconds away from sealing their title triumph on Wednesday but Real Madrid snatched a 95th-minute winner against Mallorca to delay the inevitable.

Flick’s side started slowly in Cornella, with Espanyol, 16th, looking dangerous on the counter-attack and keen to secure their top-flight survival.

Wojciech Szczesny made a fine save to deny Javi Puado who broke through on goal in Espanyol’s best chance of the opening period.

Barca dominated the ball but failed to create any clear opportunities themselves in the first half.

The Catalan giants have often blown teams away this season, approaching a century of goals in La Liga, but with the title on the line and a hostile crowd against them, they needed something special to break through.

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That came from 17-year-old wing wizard Lamine Yamal, who zipped inside off the right flank and unleashed a rocket into the top corner from outside the box, in a replica of his goal for Spain against France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

It was the teenager’s eighth La Liga strike of the season but with goals in both matches against rivals Real and also in the visit to face Atletico Madrid, he has a penchant for the big occasion.

“I don’t know what to say about Lamine, he scored an amazing goal, he’s had an amazing season,” said Lopez.

Barca’s superb display in Sunday’s Clasico, in which they beat their rivals 4-3 in a thrilling battle, effectively won them the title.

They still had to get it over the line against their neighbours, though, and that became easier when Leandro Cabrera was sent off for an elbow into Yamal’s stomach.

Even though they had a player fewer, Espanyol pressured Barcelona heavily until Lopez drilled past Joan Garcia to end the hosts’ resistance.

Espanyol fans pelted Barcelona players with bottles as they celebrated the goal, but as the league’s youngest squad wrapped up a title that most believed was unlikely at best after Kylian Mbappe’s arrival at last year’s champions Real, they did not care.

“On the pitch it was clear we could not celebrate there… two years ago (there was trouble),” Flick told reporters.

“It’s also about respect for the fans here, (so) of course we celebrated in the dressing room, fantastic, the players could do that, really good.

“Tomorrow I will stand a little bit in the background and I also will enjoy it. When I see the people are happy and smiling I will enjoy it.”

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Leaders Barcelona have lost two matches this season in La Liga, both without teenage starlet Lamine Yamal starting, and the winger will also be missing for Saturday’s match at Celta Vigo.

Hansi Flick’s side have struggled when the 17-year-old is not on the pitch, as the Spain international has become a crucial part of their attacking gameplan.

With Yamal set to miss the trip to Galicia because of an ankle problem, the German coach needs a plan B.

The teenager was rested for Barcelona’s visit to face Osasuna in September, with the Catalans losing 4-2.

Appearing as a substitute with Barcelona trailing, Yamal scored a superb late goal to remind Flick of his importance to the team.

Since then, he started every match for Barcelona until injury kept him out of the team that lost 1-0 at Real Sociedad before the international break.

Flick put Raphinha on the left wing and used Fermin Lopez out of position on the right and his team failed to create many chances in San Sebastian, despite having scored 40 goals in the 12 league games preceding.

“Of course, a player with the quality Lamine has, every team (would) miss it,” admitted Flick after the defeat. “In the last third, we weren’t making the right decisions.”

With Dani Olmo seemingly fit again after injury, the playmaker can add more quality in the final third for Barcelona and supply striker Robert Lewandowski with the ammunition he needs to thrive.

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The veteran Polish forward is the league’s top goalscorer with 14 strikes but also failed to find the net in the games where Yamal did not start.

With the youngster’s skill and speed attracting opposition defenders and his creativity crucial in teeing up Lewandowski, their connection has been vital to Barcelona’s campaign.

Lamine Yamal is also a fine foil for Raphinha when Barcelona counter-attack at pace, with the Brazilian winger, in the form of his career, often racing onto clever passes played by the Spaniard to devastating effect.

With Ferran Torres also out injured, Flick could turn to winger Pau Victor to replace Yamal or use Pablo Torre in attacking midfield with Olmo shifted to the left wing and Raphinha on the right.

Claudio Giraldez’s Celta Vigo, 11th, boast former Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso in their ranks.

“It’s special because we play against the leaders,” said Alonso. “We have shown in previous games against big sides we can compete, but we haven’t managed to take a good result.”

Celta Vigo came close to upsetting Real Madrid but were beaten 2-1 by the Spanish champions in October.

Barcelona have only won twice in their last nine visits to Balaidos. A win for Barcelona could take them nine points clear of Madrid before they visit Leganes on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid, third, host Alaves, while Valencia host Real Betis in their first match since devastating floods hit the region causing loss of life and severe damage on the east coast.

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Teenage star Lamine Yamal struck twice to help table-toppers Barcelona thrash Girona 4-1 in the La Liga clash at Montilivi on Sunday.

Hansi Flick’s side have now won all five of their opening matches and avenged two humiliating Catalan derby defeats by Girona last season with an emphatic victory.

Yamal’s first-half double sent Barcelona on their way with Dani Olmo and Pedri Gonzalez adding further goals after the break.

Cristhian Stuani pulled one back for the hosts, last season’s surprise package who finished third in only their fourth season in the top flight.

Girona lost several key players in the summer with coach Michel Sanchez forced to rebuild.

Barcelona have new momentum under former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Flick and produced their best performance of his reign to date.

“I think you can see the confidence we have, and when we have the ball, we have the quality to play and to create chances,” Flick told reporters.

“I think today we had a lot of chances to score one or two goals more, but in the end I’m very happy with the performance of the team.”

Lamine Yamal and striker Robert Lewandowski came close in the opening exchanges before the teenage star, who led Spain to Euro 2024 victory in the summer, broke the deadlock.

The winger picked the pocket of David Lopez as he tried to bring the ball out of defence, before finishing with aplomb past Paulo Gazzaniga after 30 minutes.

“We started very concentrated, very focussed, we pressed them — we know when we give them the space they need for combinations we get in trouble,” said Flick.

“You saw the first goal, it was unbelievably good (pressing) from Lamine.”

Lamine Yamal grabbed his second before the break with a fine guided finish from the edge of the box after a free-kick was cleared into his path.

Bryan Gil fired straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen from close range at the other end, before Girona were awarded a penalty when Inigo Martinez handled the ball.

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However after a VAR referral the referee annulled his decision, seeing that it had bounced on to Martinez’s arm off team-mate Alejandro Balde.

Olmo expanded Barcelona’s lead early in the second half with a sublime finish from a tight angle, leaving the new arrival from RB Leipzig on three goals from three La Liga matches.

Gazzaniga denied Lewandowski as he ran through on goal and tried to finish with a dink, as Barcelona maintained control.

Their fourth came through Pedri when midfielder Marc Casado cleverly played him through and the Canary Islander took his time to sidestep Gazzaniga and finish.

“We had to start (the season) well, other years we didn’t start it as we would have liked, above all the coach told us that,” Pedri told Movistar.

“(He told us) that from the first game we should push, that the league is won above all in these first games if you keep building the distance up, let’s continue in the same way.”

Former Espanyol striker Stuani finished from close range with 10 minutes remaining to give Girona a consolation, before Barcelona substitute Ferran Torres was sent off for a high tackle on Yaser Asprilla.

They were the only blots on Barcelona’s otherwise pristine copybook as they maintained their 100 percent record at the start of the campaign.

On Saturday champions Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad to move second, four points behind Flick’s side.

Girona are seventh after the defeat, with their next match a Champions League debut away at Paris Saint-Germain.

“It feels bad, it was a tough defeat today, for how we were preparing for the game and the excitement of facing Barca again at home,” Stuani told Movistar.

“We have to try and forget about it as quickly as possible, this week we have a very special game, we have to face that with as much excitement as possible because for us it’s an historic match.

“We have to turn the page on today and try to compete in the best way (we can).”

Later Sunday Atletico Madrid host Valencia and Athletic Bilbao visit Las Palmas.

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Four people have been arrested after a knife attack on the father of young Spanish football star Lamine Yamal in Catalonia, local police told AFP Thursday.

The attack took place at 1910 GMT on Wednesday in a car park in the Catalan town of Mataro, around 30 kilometres from Barcelona, in the Rocafonda neighbourhood where Lamine Yamal is from, said a spokesman for the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan regional police force.

Yamal’s father Mounir Nasraoui was stabbed several times the police said, and is being treated at the Can Ruti hospital, who could not be reached by AFP for comment.

“Thanks to everyone for your support, I’m already doing better, a big hug for everyone,” wrote Nasraoui in a post on Instagram on Thursday afternoon.

A source close to the family told AFP that Nasraoui is now “out of danger” and “remains under observation” but in a “stable” condition.

Asked about the events and the victim’s possible release date from hospital, the source did not wish to say more.

Lamine Yamal was pictured leaving the hospital in a car after visiting his father.

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Three people were arrested Wednesday night and were being questioned at Mataro police station, while a fourth was taken into custody at 0900 GMT Thursday morning.

Investigators must also interview the victim “as soon as possible”, as well as witnesses, to uncover the circumstances of the attack, said the police.

Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia said the incident occurred after an argument in the street with some men who had approached him while he was walking his dog and later returned to assault him.

Yamal made his Barcelona debut aged 15 in April 2023 and burst into the limelight last season, becoming a key player for the Catalan giants.

The winger, now 17, played a key role for his country as Spain triumphed at Euro 2024 for a record fourth time, becoming the youngest ever footballer to play and score in the competition’s history.

Lamine Yamal’s father and grandmother still live in Rocafonda and he tends to celebrate goals by making a ‘304’ gesture with his hands, referring to the postcode of his neighbourhood.

Nasraoui became famous during the European Championship for his social media presence and media appearances, frequently posting content showing his support for his son.

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Teenage star Lamine Yamal is carrying the weight of expectations as Hansi Flick’s Barcelona face the unenviable challenge of dethroning a fearsome Real Madrid side as Spanish champions this season.

The German coach replaced club legend Xavi Hernandez at the helm and welcomed new arrival Dani Olmo last week, but last season’s La Liga winners Madrid signed superstar French striker Kylian Mbappe earlier this summer.

The forward joins Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and other star names to ensure Barcelona begin the season as firm underdogs to Los Blancos.

The Catalan giants won nothing last season and surrendered their Spanish crown in a deeply disappointing campaign, but 17-year-old Yamal’s emergence shows there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Along with Olympic gold medal-winning centre-back Pau Cubarsi, financially-hampered Barcelona will rely on their young stars to try and compete with the might of Carlo Ancelotti’s Champions League winners.

Many believe Barcelona need a left winger and a deep-lying midfielder to put themselves in a position to fight for silverware but the club’s economic struggles make those dreams unlikely after Olmo’s arrival.

Flick’s side beat Madrid in pre-season during a tour of the United States but were brought crashing down to earth on Monday by Monaco, who enjoyed a 3-0 win in the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy curtain-raiser at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium in their final friendly.

“We didn’t play with our normal speed or normal combinations, we lost a lot of balls,” said Flick after the chastening defeat.

“But in the end, it is pre-season. I know the team can play much better than today.

“We have five days more now and will prepare them well for the next match against Valencia (Barca’s La Liga opener).”

The German coach is hoping to transform the club’s pressing game but with pivotal striker Robert Lewandowski soon turning 36, there are doubts over whether he can achieve it.

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Flick is further set back by injuries to midfielders Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, as well as centre-back Ronald Araujo, which means he starts the season with depleted ranks.

Barcelona are planning to return to their renovated Camp Nou stadium midway through the season if building works stay on track which will be a welcome boost for demoralised fans.

Although a club of Barcelona’s size is always aiming to compete for silverware, expectations seem lower than usual in Catalonia.

Gone are the days when stellar names like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar gave Barcelona the most fearsome attacking line in world football.

Instead, it was youngster Lamine Yamal who fans cheered for against Monaco, with Barcelona supporters’ biggest roar of the night reserved for the moment the winger jogged down the touchline to warm up.

Yamal, who made his Barca debut at 15, was a vital figure in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph this season and has taken to elite football like a duck to water.

No challenge has appeared too daunting thus far for Barcelona academy starlet Yamal, leading to inevitable comparisons with Messi.

With Sergi Roberto departing after 14 years in the first-team squad, Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes the armband as Barcelona captain.

“I hope the fans are with us all year because many good things are ahead of us,” said the goalkeeper after the Monaco defeat.

“Let’s hope (that) was an accident… it’s a good warning, and let’s hope that in a few days, we’ll be better.”

If Barcelona are to be able to compete with Madrid this season, that needs to be the case.

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Young Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal broke records for Spain in the past week and can continue to add to his collection against Real Betis on Saturday.

The winger became Spain’s youngest-ever player, starter and goalscorer during the international break at 16 years old, and is establishing himself as important for club and country.

Lamine Yamal became Barcelona’s youngest debutant at 15 years and 290 days old against Betis in April last season.

This season he went on to become La Liga’s youngest starter in the 21st century, and also the youngest assist provider in the same time frame.

Lamine Yamal has not scored for Barcelona yet but if he does this season, he can overtake Ansu Fati’s club record — or the overall record for youngest La Liga scorer, set by Malaga’s Fabrice Olinga at 16 years and 98 days old.

The winger was man of the match in Barcelona’s 4-3 win at Villarreal in August and has started the club’s last three games, all victories.

Barcelona, third, trail rivals and league leaders Real Madrid by two points after four matches, because of their opening day draw at Getafe.

That was the match which prompted Xavi to turn to Yamal to offer some creative spark, as well as a red card for Raphinha opening up a position on the right flank.

Ousmane Dembele’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer was another factor in giving Yamal an opportunity at such a tender age.

“He’s a mature player despite being 16,” said Barca coach Xavi earlier in September.

“He’s conscious of what he’s going through and he’s happy, the management (of the situation) is very good and for now, there are no problems.”

Barcelona have been criticised in the past for throwing players into action at young ages and burning them out.

Midfielder Pedri Gonzalez played nearly 70 games for his club and Spain in his first season and has struggled with injuries since, while Ansu Fati, now on loan at Brighton, is another example.

“We have to think about it positively,” said Xavi.

“He’s in a process of maturation and growth — we hope that doesn’t happen.”

Barcelona are without Pedri and Ronald Araujo for the clash at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, where they will reencounter a familiar face — Moroccan winger Ez Abde.

Lamine Yamal might also have chosen to play for the North African country but instead chose Spain.

Betis signed Abde on the final day of the summer transfer window and his direct running could pose the champions an immediate threat.

Real Madrid host Real Sociedad on Sunday, while Atletico Madrid visit Valencia on Saturday elsewhere in La Liga.

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