Intro
Teenage star redeems early error as Barça tighten grip atop La Liga
Madrid
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal made amends for a glaring miss with a moment of brilliance as La Liga leaders Barcelona eased past Mallorca 3-0 to open a four-point gap at the top of the table.
Barcelona struck first through Robert Lewandowski in the 29th minute after sustained pressure. Marcus Rashford, increasingly influential on the left flank, saw his initial effort blocked, but Lewandowski reacted quickest, controlling the loose ball before calmly slotting it past a defender.
Rashford came close to scoring himself in first-half stoppage time when his curling free kick forced an outstanding save from goalkeeper Leo Roman. The rebound fell kindly for Jules Koundé, whose mishit effort landed at the feet of Yamal on the goal line. Incredibly, the 18-year-old skewed wide, prompting a reassuring pat on the back from Lewandowski, one of the game’s most prolific modern scorers.
Yamal’s response was emphatic. In the 61st minute, the prodigy showcased his class by gliding past a defender on the edge of the area before unleashing a powerful, dipping left-footed strike into the bottom corner. The shot was struck so cleanly that Roman did not move.
With the match under control, Barcelona introduced fresh legs late on. Substitute Marc Bernal, another product of the club’s famed academy, capped the night in the 83rd minute with his first senior goal. A slick midfield move split Mallorca open, allowing the 18-year-old to race through, cut inside his marker and guide the ball neatly inside the post.
Yamal and Lewandowski, both now on 10 league goals for the season, were among the first to applaud Bernal’s composure from the sidelines.
The win keeps Barcelona firmly in command of La Liga, though second-placed Real Madrid can cut the deficit to one point with a victory at Valencia on Sunday.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Real Sociedad climbed to eighth after a 3-1 win over Elche. Two matches — Rayo Vallecano vs Oviedo and Sevilla vs Girona — were postponed due to safety and weather concerns respectively.
Barcelona also announced it has withdrawn from the proposed European Super League, formally ending its involvement in the controversial breakaway project.
