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Barcelona right midfielder Lamine Yamal delivered a historic performance at the Camp Nou on Saturday, netting his first career hat-trick to lead the club to a commanding 4-1 victory over Villarreal.
The 18-year-old phenom opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a clinical finish and doubled the lead shortly after with a spectacular individual effort, weaving past defenders before finding the top corner.
His third goal arrived in the second half following a precise assist from Pedri, making him the youngest player in the 21st century to score a La Liga hat-trick.
The victory moves Hansi Flick’s side four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table.
Beyond the three points, the match signalled a return to form for Yamal, who had been hampered by a nagging groin injury for several weeks.
Speaking after the match, the winger admitted he had struggled to play with his usual joy during his recovery but felt “effervescent” and happy to be contributing at his highest level again.
He has now matched his 18-goal tally from the previous season, answering critics who called for more clinical finishing from the young star.
While Villarreal briefly threatened a comeback when Pape Gueye pulled a goal back following a goalmouth scramble, Barcelona remained in control.
Robert Lewandowski added a fourth goal late in the game to secure the result, capitalising on strong defensive work from Jules Kounde and the creative spark of Pedri.
The win leaves third-place Villarreal 13 points adrift of the leaders and reinforces Barcelona’s status as the team to beat in the title race.
The dominant display comes at a critical time for the Catalan giants.
This Wednesday, Barcelona will host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, where they face the daunting task of overturning a 4-0 deficit.
With Yamal back to his best and the team clicking offensively, fans are hopeful that the “Yamal Show” can inspire a miraculous European-style comeback to keep their trophy hopes alive on multiple fronts.
