Yamal’s Stunning Goal Secured Barcelona’s La Liga Crown

A stunning Lamine Yamal strike helped crown Barcelona as La Liga champion in a 2-0 win over local rival Espanyol on Thursday, with the victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch it at the top of the table.

Yamal’s effort and a goal from Fermin Lopez lifted Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble.

Only the Champions League escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as it won the league for the second time in six years, and did it Espanyol’s ground, just as in 2023.

Back then, Barca players were chased from the field by angry home supporters. This time, Espanyol turned on the sprinklers to soak the jubilant visitors, who quickly headed down the tunnel.

Yamal opened the scoring after 53 minutes of a tense derby clash with a brilliant curling effort, and Lopez added another in the 95th minute to secure victory.

“It’s time to celebrate,” said Flick, who said he would demand even more from his team next season.

“It’s in our DNA (to want to learn), it’s normal, and this is what I want from the players, that they always try to get better and they have this hunger, it’s crucial,” he said.

Outside the stadium before the match, several Espanyol fans were hit by a car which drove into a big crowd, although none were seriously injured, and police said it appeared to be an accident.

Barcelona was seconds away from sealing the title on Wednesday, but Real Madrid snatched a 95th-minute winner against Mallorca to delay the inevitable.

Flick’s side started slowly in Cornella, with Espanyol, 16th in the standings, looking dangerous on the counter and keen to secure its top-flight survival.

Wojciech Szczesny made a fine save to deny Javi Puado, who broke through on goal in Espanyol’s best chance of the opening period.

Barca dominated the ball but failed to create any clear opportunities in the first half.

The Catalan giant has often blown teams away this season, approaching 100 goals in La Liga, but with the title on the line and facing a hostile crowd, Barcelona needed something special to break through.

It came from 17-year-old wizard Yamal, who zipped inside off the right flank and unleashed a rocket into the top corner from outside the box, a replica of his goal for Spain against France in the Euro 2024 semifinals.

It was the teenager’s eighth La Liga strike of the season but with goals in both matches against Real Madrid and also on the road against Atletico Madrid, he has a penchant for the big occasion.

“I don’t know what to say about Lamine, he scored an amazing goal, he’s had an amazing season,” Lopez said.

Barca’s superb display in Sunday’s ‘clasico,’ in which it beat Real 4-3 in a thrilling battle, effectively secured the title.

It still had to get over the line against its neighbor, though, and that became easier when Leandro Cabrera was sent off for an elbow to Yamal’s stomach.

Even with one fewer player, Espanyol pressured Barcelona until Lopez drilled past Joan Garcia to end the its resistance.

Espanyol fans pelted Barcelona players with bottles as they celebrated the goal, but as the league’s youngest squad wrapped up a title that most believed was unlikely at best after Kylian Mbappe joined defending champion Real, they did not care.

“On the pitch it was clear we could not celebrate there … two years ago (there was trouble),” Flick told reporters.

“It’s also about respect for the fans here, (so) of course we celebrated in the dressing room, fantastic, the players could do that, really good.

“Tomorrow I will stand a little bit in the background and I also will enjoy it. When I see the people are happy and smiling I will enjoy it.”

Japantimes.co.jp