Yamal bags brace as Barca crush Girona 4-1 to maintain perfect start

Barcelona continued their flawless start to the 2024/25 season with a commanding 4-1 victory over Girona, thanks to a first-half brace from 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal.

Yamal opened the scoring in the 30th minute by dispossessing David Lopez deep in Girona’s half and coolly chipping the ball over goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Yamal added his second just seven minutes later with a composed first-time finish from the edge of the box after a deflected free-kick fell into his path.

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, under the stewardship of the former Bayern Munich and Germany coach, avenged last season’s derby defeats to Girona with a dominant performance at Montilivi. The win marked their fifth consecutive victory, keeping them top of La Liga.

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Yamal’s brilliant double set the tone for the match, with Dani Olmo and Pedri Gonzalez adding further goals in the second half to secure the emphatic win. Cristhian Stuani netted a consolation goal for Girona, last season’s surprise package, but it was too little, too late.

“We pressed them very well, especially for the first goal,” Flick told reporters. “Lamine’s performance was outstanding. You can see the confidence in the team, and we could have scored even more.”

After a strong start, Yamal took full advantage of a defensive error to put Barça ahead. He followed it up with his second goal, a perfectly guided shot from the edge of the box after Raphinha’s free-kick was blocked.

Girona’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when VAR overturned a penalty decision against Barcelona’s Inigo Martinez for a handball. Dani Olmo then made it 3-0 with a sublime finish from a tight angle before Pedri added a fourth, rounding Gazzaniga to complete the rout.

Pedri spoke on the importance of Barcelona’s strong start, saying, “The coach told us that the league can be won in these early games if we build momentum, and that’s what we’re aiming to do.”

With their winning streak intact, Barcelona will now shift their focus to the Champions League as they continue to build under Flick’s leadership.