La Liga 2024-25: Lamine Yamal bags brace as Barcelona beats Girona 4-1

Barcelona has new momentum under former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Flick and produced its best performance of his reign to date.

FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring its second goal. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Teenage star Lamine Yamal struck twice as La Liga leader Barcelona thrashed Girona 4-1 on Sunday.

Hansi Flick’s side has now won all five of its opening matches and avenged two humiliating Catalan derby defeats by Girona last season with an emphatic victory at Montilivi.

Yamal’s first-half double sent Barcelona on its way with Dani Olmo and Pedri Gonzalez adding further goals after the break.

Cristhian Stuani pulled one back for the host, last season’s surprise package who finished third in only its fourth season in the top flight.

Girona lost several key players in the summer with coach Michel Sanchez forced to rebuild.

Barcelona has new momentum under former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Flick and produced its best performance of his reign to date.

Yamal and striker Robert Lewandowski came close in the opening exchanges before the teenage star, who led Spain to Euro 2024 victory in the summer, broke the deadlock.

The winger picked the pocket of David Lopez as he tried to bring the ball out of defence, before finishing with aplomb past Paulo Gazzaniga after 30 minutes.

Yamal grabbed his second before the break with a fine guided finish from the edge of the box after a free-kick was cleared into his path.

Bryan Gil fired straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen from close range at the other end, before Girona was awarded a penalty when Inigo Martinez handled the ball.

However, after a VAR referral, the referee annulled his decision, seeing that it had bounced onto Martinez’s arm off team-mate Alejandro Balde.

Olmo expanded Barcelona’s lead early in the second half with a sublime finish from a tight angle, leaving the new arrival from RB Leipzig with three goals from three La Liga matches.

Gazzaniga denied Lewandowski as he ran through on goal and tried to finish with a dink, as Barcelona maintained control.

Its fourth came through Pedri when midfielder Marc Casado cleverly played him through and the Canary Islander took his time to sidestep Gazzaniga and finish.

Former Espanyol striker Stuani finished from close range with 10 minutes remaining to give Girona a consolation before Barcelona substitute Ferran Torres was sent off for a high tackle on Yaser Asprilla.

Those were the only blots on Barcelona’s otherwise pristine copybook as it maintained its 100 per cent record at the start of the campaign.

On Saturday champion Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad to move second, four points behind Flick’s side. Later Sunday Atletico Madrid hosts Valencia and Athletic Bilbao visit Las Palmas.