Barcelona’s 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal scored two goals to help his team salvage a 3-3 draw with Granada at the Camp Nou on Sunday. The young forward, who made his debut in January, showed his talent and composure as he netted the opener and the equalizer in a dramatic match.
Yamal opened the scoring in the 14th minute, tapping in a cross from Joao Cancelo at the far post. He then leveled the game in the 80th minute, firing a long-range shot that beat Granada goalkeeper Rui Silva. Yamal became the youngest player to score a brace in La Liga history, breaking the record set by Bojan Krkic in 2008.
Granada fights back to stun Barcelona
Granada, who are fighting to avoid relegation, showed great spirit and resilience as they came back from behind twice to take the lead against Barcelona. The visitors equalized in the 43rd minute, when Ricard Sanchez volleyed in a cross from Luis Suarez. They then went ahead in the 60th minute, when Facundo Pellistri, on loan from Manchester United, slotted in a pass from Darwin Machis.
Granada stunned Barcelona again in the 66th minute, when Ignasi Miquel headed in a corner from Alberto Soro. The defender, who spent six years at Barcelona’s academy, celebrated his goal with a gesture of silence towards the home fans.
Barcelona misses chance to close gap with leaders
The draw meant that Barcelona missed the opportunity to reduce the gap with the top two teams in La Liga, Real Madrid and Girona. The Catalans are third in the table with 51 points, five behind second-placed Girona and 10 behind leaders Real Madrid, who thrashed Girona 4-0 on Saturday.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez admitted that his team lost two points and a good chance to cut the deficit. He praised Granada for playing an intelligent game and pushing his team hard. He also said that his team had faith, courage and desire, but it was not enough. He added that the league was difficult and now it was two points more difficult.
Sevilla beats Atletico to boost survival hopes
In another exciting game on Sunday, Sevilla beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 at home, thanks to a goal from Isaac Romero in the 15th minute. The striker headed in a corner from Lucas Ocampos, taking advantage of poor defending from Atletico. Sevilla held on to their lead, despite Atletico’s dominance in possession and chances.
The win lifted Sevilla to 15th place in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone. The team, coached by former Atletico player Diego Pablo Simeone, had not won in eight league games, matching their worst ever winless streak in the competition from the 1960s.
Atletico, on the other hand, suffered their sixth league defeat of the season and remained in fourth place, 13 points behind Real Madrid. The team, coached by former Sevilla player Julen Lopetegui, extended their winless run to three games in all competitions. They also lost striker Alvaro Morata to a knee injury in the first half, who left the pitch in tears.
