Barcelona got a great victory on Sunday, on the Villarreal pitch (5-1). Enough to make up for their loss after their European defeat in the middle of the week against AS Monaco, mainly due to Eric Garcia being sent off at the very start of the match. Another match that Hansi Flick’s men controlled well, even if it’s true that the score is perhaps a little harsh on the Yellow Submarine, who created a lot of chances and hurt the Barcelona defense on numerous occasions during the match.
We were once again able to see the extent of Barça’s attacking potential, deprived of Dani Olmo, but well supported by Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and especially Lamine Yamal. The Catalan nugget did not manage to shake the net, but delivered a new masterclass on the pitch of the Estadio de la Ceramica, with another brilliant assist for Raphinha, with a superb outside of the foot to allow the Brazilian to get in front of the rival goalkeeper and beat him.
A new successful performance
He now has 4 goals and 5 assists in 7 games with Barça at the start of the season. But beyond the statistics, it is his ease in making differences with the ball that shocked everyone again against Villarreal, as well as his maturity. We are indeed talking about a player who celebrated his 17th birthday this summer and who already gives the impression of playing like a veteran.
He was also the player who caused the most fouls, including two heavy interventions from Villarreal players at the end of the match that earned two yellow cards. Enough to confirm the fears of the Barça staff and the Catalan media regarding the increasingly aggressive way of defending the nugget by opposing defenders, and therefore increased risks of injury. But with a Lamine Yamal at this level, Barça can seriously imagine lifting the Liga trophy at the end of the season!
