Lamine Yamal delivered another two-goal performance as Barcelona cruised to a 4-2 win at Levante on Sunday, keeping Hansi Flick’s side perfect through five La Liga matches. The 17-year-old forward struck either side of halftime, with Raphinha pulling the strings across 90 minutes with two assists, before a late Levante rally made for an uncomfortable finish. Adeyemi, on as a substitute, killed any remaining doubt with a 90th-minute goal to seal three points.
Key Moments
- 5′, Espart opened the scoring, converting a Raphinha assist to put Barcelona ahead inside the first five minutes.
- 19′, Lamine Yamal made it 2-0, finishing from another Raphinha ball to double Barcelona’s lead.
- 29′, Levante were denied a potential lifeline when a VAR review canceled a penalty awarded against Barcelona.
- 45′, Gerard Martin was shown a yellow card and immediately substituted at halftime, with Christensen coming on to replace him.
- 48′, Lamine Yamal converted a penalty three minutes into the second half, making it 3-0 and seemingly putting the game beyond Levante.
- 79′, Iván Romero pulled one back for Levante after coming off the bench, giving the hosts a lifeline at 3-1.
- 88′, Brugui reduced the deficit further to 3-2 with two minutes to play, setting up a nervy finish.
- 90′, Adeyemi, who entered in the 67th minute, restored the two-goal cushion in stoppage time, assisted by Marc Bernal, to seal the victory at 4-2.
Tactical Breakdown
Barcelona’s 75% possession stat tells most of the story. Flick’s 4-3-3 overwhelmed a Levante side that completed just 171 accurate passes to Barcelona’s 711. The visitors converted their early dominance efficiently, scoring twice before the 20-minute mark, with Raphinha central to both. The Brazilian played the full 90 minutes and finished with two assists, picking up an 8.4 match rating, the highest on the park. Lamine Yamal, withdrawn in the 66th minute, complemented that well from the right, combining pace and directness against a 4-4-2 that struggled to press high.
The VAR cancellation of Levante’s penalty at the half-hour mark proved significant. At 2-0, a spot kick could have changed the tenor of the match. Instead, Barcelona went in at halftime with their cushion intact. Flick made three changes around the 66th and 67th minutes, bringing on Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, and Adeyemi, and it was Adeyemi who had the final word. Bernal, on for just 24 minutes, still registered an assist, setting up the substitute’s 90th-minute finish.
Levante’s problem was twofold: they could not hold the ball in the first half, and their second-half substitutions, while producing two goals through Iván Romero and Brugui, came too late to threaten a genuine comeback. The hosts managed 13 total shots, but a large chunk of their attacking work arrived only after Barcelona had eased off. The 25% possession figure reflects a side that spent the majority of the match reacting rather than acting.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
Barcelona sit top of La Liga with 15 points from five games, three clear of Real Madrid in second. Flick’s side have now scored 21 goals and conceded just four all season, a record that speaks to both their attacking output and defensive resilience. Lamine Yamal’s double, confirmed by sports.yahoo.com, marks another landmark performance for one of the competition’s most consistent individual contributors this campaign.
Levante
Lamine Yamal
Raphinha