Teenage star Lamine Yamal struck twice as La Liga leaders Barcelona thrashed Girona 4-1 on Sunday. Hansi Flick’s facet have now gained all 5 of their opening matches and avenged two humiliating Catalan derby defeats by Girona final season with an emphatic victory at Montilivi. Yamal’s first-half double despatched Barcelona on their approach with Dani Olmo and Pedri Gonzalez including additional objectives after the break. Cristhian Stuani pulled one again for the hosts, final season’s shock package deal who completed third in solely their fourth season within the prime flight.
Girona misplaced a number of key gamers in the summertime with coach Michel Sanchez pressured to rebuild.
Barcelona have new momentum beneath former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Flick and produced their greatest efficiency of his reign to this point.
“I believe you may see the boldness we’ve, and when we’ve the ball, we’ve the standard to play and to create probabilities,” Flick informed reporters.
“I believe immediately we had a whole lot of probabilities to attain one or two objectives extra, however in the long run I’m very proud of the efficiency of the staff.”
Yamal and striker Robert Lewandowski got here shut within the opening exchanges earlier than the teenage star, who led Spain to Euro 2024 victory in the summertime, broke the impasse.
The winger picked the pocket of David Lopez as he tried to convey the ball out of defence, earlier than ending with aplomb previous Paulo Gazzaniga after half-hour.
“We began very concentrated, very focussed, we pressed them — we all know after we give them the area they want for combos we get in hassle,” stated Flick.
“You noticed the primary purpose, it was unbelievably good (urgent) from Lamine.”
Yamal grabbed his second earlier than the break with a superb guided end from the sting of the field after a free-kick was cleared into his path.
Bryan Gil fired straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen from shut vary on the different finish, earlier than Girona had been awarded a penalty when Inigo Martinez dealt with the ball.
However after a VAR referral the referee annulled his resolution, seeing that it had bounced on to Martinez’s arm off team-mate Alejandro Balde.
Olmo expanded Barcelona’s lead early within the second half with a chic end from a good angle, leaving the brand new arrival from RB Leipzig on three objectives from three La Liga matches.
Gazzaniga denied Lewandowski as he ran by on purpose and tried to complete with a dink, as Barcelona maintained management.
Their fourth got here by Pedri when midfielder Marc Casado cleverly performed him by and the Canary Islander took his time to sidestep Gazzaniga and end.
“We needed to begin (the season) nicely, different years we did not begin it as we might have appreciated, above all of the coach informed us that,” Pedri informed Movistar.
“(He informed us) that from the primary recreation we should always push, that the league is gained above all in these first video games in the event you hold constructing the space up, let’s proceed in the identical approach.”
‘Turn the web page’
Former Espanyol striker Stuani completed from shut vary with 10 minutes remaining to present Girona a comfort, earlier than Barcelona substitute Ferran Torres was despatched off for a excessive deal with on Yaser Asprilla.
They had been the one blots on Barcelona’s in any other case pristine copybook as they maintained their one hundred pc document at first of the marketing campaign.
On Saturday champions Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad to maneuver second, 4 factors behind Flick’s facet.
Girona are seventh after the defeat, with their subsequent match a Champions League debut away at Paris Saint-Germain.
“It feels unhealthy, it was a troublesome defeat immediately, for a way we had been making ready for the sport and the joy of going through Barca once more at dwelling,” Stuani informed Movistar.
“We must try to neglect about it as rapidly as doable, this week we’ve a really particular recreation, we’ve to face that with as a lot pleasure as doable as a result of for us it is an historic match.
“We have to show the web page on immediately and attempt to compete in one of the simplest ways (we are able to).”
Later Sunday Atletico Madrid host Valencia and Athletic Bilbao go to Las Palmas.
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