Unstoppable! Lamine Yamal tipped to reach another level

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick believes Lamine Yamal can still go to another level after the teenager’s impressive performance in Saturday’s 3-1 LaLiga victory over Elche.

Yamal scored for the fourth time in five games as Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the table to four points ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

The Spain international now has nine league goals this season — matching his total from last year already. He also created eight chances during the match, including one which led to Marcus Rashford scoring Barça’s third goal.

“It’s important for the team and for the club,” Flick said in a news conference when asked to sum up Yamal’s display at the Estadio Martínez Valero. “For everyone, it’s good when he plays on the top level. He’s young enough to improve, to have potential, to reach another level. I think it happens.”

Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring his Barcelona’s first goal against Elche. (Photo By Francisco Macia/Europa Press via Getty Images)

Barcelona took the lead in the sixth minute when Yamal rounded goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, on loan at Elche from the Catalan side, but Álvaro Rodríguez drew the home team level after half an hour.

Ferran Torres’ 12th LaLiga goal of the campaign restored Barça’s lead before the break and Rashford rounded off the win in the 72nd minute, taking his tally to 10 in all competitions since signing from Manchester United last summer.

Barcelona failed to keep their composure in front of goal as they accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 6.52, blitzing the previous highest xG of the Flick era, 5.09 against Mallorca in 2024.

Torres failed to convert various chance, with Fermín López and Rashford also guilty. Dani Olmo was also denied by the woodwork.

“Difficult question,” Flick laughed when asked if his side’s finishing had frustrated him. “It was important that we get three points today. We played a fantastic game except in the last metres of the pitch.

“The good thing is we were switched on from the very beginning of the match, and we created a lot of chances. But we missed them; this is the bad thing.”

Flick also downplayed any fears over Raphinha and Jules Koundé, who were both unable to finish the game, suggesting they were withdrawn as a precaution more than anything.