Barcelona clinch 28th La Liga title

3 months ago 19

BARCELONA, Spain (AP):

This was Lamine Yamal’s season.

So it just had to be the teenage phenom who scored the decisive goal to clinch Barcelona’s 28th Spanish league title.

And what a goal it was for the player who still wears dental braces and sports a new dyed-blond hairdo.

The 17-year-old struck the winner in Barcelona’s 2-0 victory at crosstown rivals Espanyol yesterday when he slid past two defenders outside the area and whipped one his now trademark left-footed curlers into the corner of the net.

It was a perfect culmination to Yamal’s last 10 months.

After helping Spain win the European Championship last summer, Yamal excelled for Barcelona this campaign with his goals, dribbling, and playmaking as he confirmed his status as the next big star of global football. Along with Raphinha, Pedri and company, and Barcelona were unstoppable.

“I always try my best, and today I was lucky it went in,” Yamal said.

Fermín López ensured the win in stoppage time after Espanyol were reduced to 10 men in the 80th when Leandro Cabrera received a direct red for hitting Yamal in the stomach while disputing a ball.

Barcelona won the title with two rounds remaining. They completed a domestic double with the Copa del Rey title — treble if you add the Spanish Super Cup — and reached the Champions League semi-finals in a fantastic first season for coach Hansi Flick.

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Flick’s team virtually ended Madrid’s title defence when they beat their top rivals 4-3 on Sunday, making it four of four clasico victories across all competitions this season.

Madrid’s victory over Mallorca on Wednesday prevented Barcelona from winning the title without playing. But the Catalan club needed just two points from its final three games of the season.

Barcelona’s players danced briefly on the field to celebrate while sprinklers doused them with water.

Espanyol outplayed their wealthier rivals in the first half, but Urko González shot wide on a counterattack early on, and Javi Puado couldn’t beat Wojciech Szczesny in a one-on-one opportunity.

But Yamal’s great shot in the 53rd minute put Barcelona in control. Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who is linked to a move to a big club this summer, including Barcelona, dived but couldn’t reach the perfectly placed shot.

On Yamal’s goal, Pedri said: “He scored two goals like that today in practice. We are fortunate to have him on our side.”

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