Lamine Yamal nets first LaLiga hat-trick as leaders Barcelona thrash Villarreal

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kounde-jules/v36QVRPu/"]Jules Kounde[/a] was a central figure in the opening exchanges, though he experienced mixed fortunes, as he diverted a potentially dangerous cross from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cardona-sergi/vVh7yy15/"]Sergi Cardona[/a] behind, before missing horrendously when put through on goal by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fermin/2c2ipETG/"]Fermin Lopez[/a]. [/p][p][b]It was down to a man nearly a decade younger than the French international, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a], to show him how it’s done, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gueye-pape/p6rsDQvN/"]Pape Gueye[/a]’s giveaway to Fermin while under pressure allowed the latter to slice through the defence with a lethal pass to Lamine, who fired into the bottom-left corner.[/b][/p][p]If the teenage sensation’s first goal was a lesson in how to finish, his second was a masterclass in how to beat two men at a narrow angle and thunder a finish into the top-left corner. [/p][p][b]Shortly after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-ayoze/jVHfHxGn/"]Ayoze Perez[/a] was caught narrowly offside in a promising move, the Blaugrana surged forward, and another killer Fermin ball found Lamine, who dribbled past his two hapless markers and bagged his first brace since September 2024 – and his first at home in exactly two years.[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="e3122a8d-4567-4fb4-bd2c-e016dbc1af91" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="024d8005-1d56-41c3-a305-337f596adea8" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]More joy nearly followed two minutes from half-time, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raphinha/xtBsDPam/"]Raphinha[/a] saw a promising free-kick kept out at full stretch by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luiz-junior/WShuFWRi/"]Luiz Junior[/a].[/p][p]It always felt like something monumental would be required from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/villarreal/lUatW5jE/"]Villarreal[/a] to change the complexion of this game after half-time, especially with Yamal’s second of the day being [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a]’s 16th LaLiga home goal without response as it stood.[/p][p][b]Yet, the Yellow Submarine reignited the contest just three minutes into the second half, when several Barcelona players failed to clear their lines at the end of a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepe-nicolas/j3Hk0qEj/"]Nicolas Pepe[/a] corner, and the ball fell kindly to Gueye, who swept in to atone for his earlier error.[/b][/p][p]That set the nerves jangling as the clock crept towards the hour mark, and Perez somehow managed to miss an open goal when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/navarro-pau/2cEjjwj9/"]Pau Navarro[/a]’s robust tackle on Yamal sparked a Villarreal counter that had [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garcia-joan/vuAlEqes/"]Joan Garcia[/a] charging out of his goalmouth.[/p][embed guid="c2765bdf-3b9e-4dfe-89de-025664ec17a0" url="https://x.com/FCBarcelona/status/2027791537099190774" social-type="twitter" /][p]But with a renewed willingness to attack always comes the risk of being caught out, and Lamine finally had that elusive match ball with 20 minutes to play. [/p][p][b]Much like he did earlier, the teenage star fired into the opposite corner beautifully from a narrow angle, after being granted excess space to dart into the box at the end of an opportunistic Pedri pass.[/b][/p][p]With the damage long done and Villarreal’s most promising period firmly stubbed out by Lamine's third, those inside the Nou Camp saw a relatively sedate conclusion.[/p][p][b]Barcelona still had time for a fourth goal, though, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lewandowski-robert/MVC8zHZD/"]Robert Lewandowski[/a] tapping on the end of a squared ball inside the box from Kounde. [/b][/p][p]It’s now all eyes on Monday’s action at the Bernabeu as Real Madrid host Getafe, while Villarreal – despite failing to become the first team since Real Madrid in the 1960s to win three consecutive away games against Barcelona – remain nine points clear inside the top four for now.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="Lamine Yamal was the star of the show" id="02b1e252-4e58-42d8-a1d5-624009a9fc42" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform / REUTERS/Albert Gea" guid="a0c2dc5d-f07e-4073-9aab-cf57a88b8266" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/villarreal-lUatW5jE/?mid=QHILO5jI"]Click here for more on the match.[/a][/b][/p]