NEW DELHI: Teenage sensation
Lamine Yamal
was the star of the show as
Barcelona
, the
La Liga
leaders, secured a resounding 4-1 victory over
Girona
on Sunday.
The young Spaniard's brace in the first half set the tone for Barcelona's dominant performance, which saw them avenge their humiliating defeats against Girona in the previous season.
Under the guidance of
Hansi Flick
, the former Bayern Munich and Germany coach, Barcelona have made an impressive start to the campaign, winning all five of their opening matches.
Their victory at Montilivi showcased their newfound momentum and the best performance of Flick's tenure so far.
Yamal's opening goal came after he capitalized on a defensive lapse by David Lopez, picking his pocket and finishing with composure past Paulo Gazzaniga. His second strike before the break was a well-guided finish from the edge of the box, further cementing Barcelona's control.
Dani Olmo
and
Pedri Gonzalez
added to the scoreline in the second half, with Olmo's sublime finish from a tight angle and Pedri's composed effort after being played through by Marc Casado highlighting Barcelona's attacking acumen.
Girona, who had a remarkable third-place finish in the previous season, struggled to cope with Barcelona's intensity. Despite Cristhian Stuani's late consolation goal, the hosts were unable to mount a significant challenge, having lost several key players during the summer transfer window.
The only blemishes for Barcelona were Gazzaniga's denial of Robert Lewandowski's chipped effort and Ferran Torres's late red card for a high tackle on Yaser Asprilla. However, these incidents did little to dampen Barcelona's overall dominance and their 100 percent record at the start of the campaign.
On Saturday, reigning champions
Real Madrid
secured a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad, moving them to second place, four points behind Flick's Barcelona.
Later on Sunday,
Atletico Madrid
will host Valencia, while Athletic Bilbao are set to visit Las Palmas.
English (US) ·