Lamine Yamal was the star of the show as Barcelona kicked off their La Liga campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Mallorca.
The 17-year-old winger’s brilliance was on full display, as he combined with Raphinha to score the opening goal and later sealed the victory with a stunning third goal deep into injury time.
Yamal’s impact on the game was evident from the early stages, as he played a key role in Barcelona’s first two goals.
His cross found Raphinha, who headed in the opener after just seven minutes.
Later, Yamal’s shot was headed away by Mallorca defender Antonio Raillo, but Ferran Torres was quick to pounce on the rebound and score the second goal.
The visitors were in control from the start, and Mallorca’s struggles continued when they were reduced to nine men.
Manu Morlanes was sent off for a second yellow card offence, and Vedat Muriqi followed suit for a reckless challenge on Barcelona’s debutant goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Despite being up against nine men, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick wasn’t satisfied with his team’s performance in the second half.
“I am not happy with the way we played the second half,” Flick said.
“My team played at 50% to 60%, and this is not acceptable against 9 men. I need to speak to the players.”
Flick, however, praised Ferran Torres’ goal, saying, “Ferran’s goal? I always tell my team don’t stop until the referee blows his whistle, and he didn’t…”
The win sets the tone for Barcelona’s title ambitions, and Yamal’s performance will undoubtedly give the team a lot of hope for the season ahead.
The young winger’s stats from the game were impressive, with 12 touches in the opposition box, nine shots, and nine duels won.
He is the only player to have scored in double figures (10) and registered double-digit assists (14) in La Liga since the start of last season.
Marcus Rashford, who joined Barcelona on loan, made his La Liga debut in the second half, but it was a Yamal show at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.
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