Lamine Yamal scored his first profession hat trick as Barcelona celebrated Hansi Flick’s one hundredth sport in cost with a 4-1 LaLiga victory over Villarreal.
Yamal took his league tally for the season to 13 with a superb treble and Robert Lewandowski rounded off issues with a easy stoppage-time tap-in.
Papa Gueye had given third-placed Villarreal hope simply after half-time, decreasing the deficit to 2-1 on the Spotify Camp Nou.
However Barcelona comfortably prolonged their 100% residence league document to maneuver 4 factors away from Actual Madrid.
Actual have a sport in hand, which is at residence to Getafe on Monday.
The discuss earlier than kick-off had been of Flick’s milestone match, the previous Germany supervisor saying it was a “nice honour to succeed in this quantity.”
MANAURE QUINTERO / AFP through Getty Photos
In the course of the sport it was all about Yamal’s outlandish brilliance because the 18-year-old winger ran Villarreal ragged.
Barcelona took time to get into their stride with their solely early effort of be aware being a blocked Fermín López shot.
Villarreal have been content material to absorb stress and break on the counter, and it was a tactic that nearly paid off.
The house defence was stretched by a swift Villarreal raid, however Sergi Cardona‘s cross was minimize out on the close to put up.
Jules Koundé dragged horribly large from Barcelona’s greatest transfer, and rising residence stress noticed Luiz Júnior collect from Yamal.
Barcelona struck after 28 minutes with Yamal again on the scoresheet, ending a three-game mini-drought after scoring within the earlier 5.
Gueye was caught in possession close to the midway line and Lopez launched Yamal, who produced an unerring left-footed end.
Yamal produced a good higher strike 9 minutes later after choosing up the ball tight on the touchline.
{The teenager} wriggled inside, dropped the shoulder to spherical Cardona, after which beat Alberto Moleiro earlier than sending a curling shot into the highest nook from 14 yards.
Villarreal went shut when the stretching Ayoze Pérez diverted Nicolas Pépé‘s cross large, however Barcelona have been threatening to attain at each alternative.
Raphinha‘s free-kick was pushed apart by Luiz Junior, and Kounde flicked the ball residence earlier than being denied by an offside flag.
Yamal spurned a hat-trick probability proper on half-time however Villarreal have been again within the contest out of nowhere 4 minutes after the restart.
Santiago Mouriño touched a nook into the trail of Gueye, who was performed onside by Raphinha and completed with aplomb.
Barcelona have been nearly breached once more when Joan García rushed needlessly out of his objective.
The ball broke for Perez however his effort from 30 yards went large of the gaping internet.
Yamal flashed one other shot large, however he was to not be denied the hat-trick after substitute Pedri arrange one other emphatic end after 69 minutes.
Substitute Lewandowski had the ultimate phrase changing Kounde’s centre regardless of an offside flag, with the objective allowed to face following a VAR intervention.
