Lamine Yamal inspires Barcelona to a commanding 4-1 victory over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, producing a decisive second-half performance that helped the Spanish side recover from an early setback and secure their second consecutive win.
Barcelona failed to find a tempo in the first few minutes, but Galatasaray were able to score in the 27th minute. It was a counter and a back-and-forth game which found its conclusion in a shot by Aleksei Batrakov which deflected off Joao Cancelo and into the net to give the hosts the lead.
The visitors got their revenge after half-time with Cancelo’s pass from Dani Olmo finding his target. The game was levelled by the equaliser and Barcelona got the impetus they wanted going into the half-time break. Lamine Yamal was then the star of the attacking resurgence at Barcelona. The teenager headed home a perfect cross for Fermin in the 50th minute – the turnaround finished and the visitors moved ahead.
It was another brilliant moment from Yamal after just three minutes when he drilled a pass under Eren Elmali and found Anthony Gordon to keep Barcelona in possession. His creative touch was further highlighted in the 65th minute when another pass found Karim Adeyemi in front to find the fourth opportunity.
Yamal didn’t score the goal but his play was crucial in breaking Galatasaray’s defence.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick described the teenager as a “player who has a very strong effect on the team” after the game, noting his “goal conversion” skills.
“Josie, it’s amazing to have players like that. “He has turned the game around to us.”
The German coach also said that the creativity of Yamal during training sessions often takes the form of competition. The young captain was then handed the armband by his teammates when Pedri was substituted, making him even more prominent in the team.
