Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal redeemed himself for a missed open goal by unleashing a stunning curler from outside the box, helping Barcelona secure a 3-0 victory against Mallorca on Saturday, extending their lead to four points at the top of La Liga.
After Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Barcelona, 18-year-old homegrown talent Marc Bernal netted his first professional goal late in the match, solidifying the convincing win.
Second-placed Real Madrid has the opportunity to narrow the gap to just one point with a victory against Valencia on Sunday.
Lewandowski capitalized on a chance from close range in the 29th minute following a strong play down the left from Marcus Rashford. After his initial shot was blocked, Lewandowski calmly controlled the ball, maneuvered past a defender, and found the back of the net.
Rashford continued to build momentum throughout the season, nearly scoring in first-half injury time with a curling free kick that drew an outstanding save from Leo Román.
The ball dropped to right back Jules Koundé near the penalty area, whose mishit shot fell to Yamal, who inexplicably skewed a shot wide from just inches away from the goal.
Despite the miss, the other top scorer Lewandowski offered encouragement to the 18-year-old, who is already making waves with a goal tally exceeding 650 across his career, including 344 at his previous club, Bayern Munich.
Josep LAGO / AFP via Getty Images
Yamal showcased his talent again in the 61st minute, skillfully evading a defender and delivering a powerful dipping shot into the bottom corner. The strike was so precise that Román didn’t even attempt a save.
Both Yamal and Lewandowski were substituted later in the game, applauding Bernal’s impressive goal in the 83rd minute.
Barcelona sliced through the Mallorca defense with a swift series of passes, allowing Bernal to break through. He maintained his composure, cut inside a defender, and confidently slotted the ball inside the post.