Barcelona’s 4-1 Champions League win at Galatasaray turned on Lamine Yamal’s second-half control, with the 18-year-old supplying two decisive assists in Istanbul and collecting the Player of the Match award.
Yamal helped Barcelona pull clear at the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex RAMS Park, setting up Fermín and Gordon after the interval. His most eye-catching contribution came in the move for Barcelona’s third goal, a 3-1 strike finished by Gordon.
Quick facts
- Barcelona beat Galatasaray 4-1 in the Champions League.
- Lamine Yamal delivered two second-half assists, for Fermín and Gordon.
- His improvised dribble past Elmali created the chance for Gordon at 3-1.
- Yamal was named Player of the Match in Istanbul.
- Hansi Flick said the winger’s command of the game was “fantastic”.
Asked about the move past Elmali, Yamal described it as an instinctive piece of improvisation. “It worked in the end,” he said. “I would call it an almost-rabona, but I do not know. It just came out like that in the moment, and it worked well for Gordon’s assist.”
Fermín underlined the understanding Barcelona’s young attackers have built. “Lamine is a friend and a great team-mate,” he said. “Whenever he has the ball, I try to make a run because I know he looks for me and sees me. He is the best in the world, with huge quality. We get on well off the pitch and that carries over onto it.”
Flick identified Yamal as the key figure after half-time, praising both his influence and his physical condition. “Lamine Yamal had a very good second half and he was extremely important for us,” the Barcelona coach said. “The way he controlled the game was fantastic.”
The German added that the winger is enjoying his football and has the capacity to alter matches at the highest level. “He is in very good physical shape, as we saw in the second half. It is special to have a player at this level who can change games in that way.”
Yamal had his mother, Sheila Ebana, and his girlfriend, content creator Inés García, in the stands for a night in which Barcelona left Istanbul with a commanding European result.
