Barcelona extended their perfect start to the La Liga season with an impressive 4-1 victory over Girona, powered by a brilliant performance from teenager Lamine Yamal. The 16-year-old sensation scored twice in the first half, helping Barcelona exact revenge on their Catalan rivals, who had defeated them twice last season.
The match took place at the Estadi Montilivi, a notoriously difficult venue, but Barcelona showed they were ready to maintain their strong form. Prior to the international break, they had won their first four league games, and they picked up right where they left off.
Barcelona, eager to avenge last season’s defeats, came out aggressively. Around the 30th minute, Yamal made his mark by dispossessing Girona’s David Lopez and calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. It was a crucial goal that gave the Blaugrana the momentum they needed.
Just seven minutes later, Yamal struck again. After a well-placed free kick, the ball fell kindly to him, and he curled a brilliant 25-yard shot into the back of the net. His brace put Barcelona firmly in control, and Girona struggled to recover from the double blow.
Girona had a brief glimmer of hope when they were awarded a penalty, but VAR intervened, overturning the decision. This setback seemed to deflate Girona, and Barcelona took full advantage. Early in the second half, Dani Olmo added a third goal with a spectacular half-volley, further demoralizing the Girona defense.
Despite being reduced to 10 men after Ferran Torres was shown a red card for a reckless challenge, Barcelona’s lead was too large for Girona to mount a comeback. Cristhian Stuani managed to score a late consolation goal for the home side, but it made little difference to the final result.
Pedri put the icing on the cake for Barcelona with a fourth goal, receiving a clever pass from Marc Casado before rounding Gazzaniga and calmly finishing.
