Teenager Scores Stunner to Give Barça Lead
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal continues to shatter records. On Wednesday, the 16-year-old winger scored a magnificent Lionel Messi-esque curled effort to give Barcelona a 2-1 lead over Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey.
“I received the ball on the right wing. I cut inside two defenders, created a yard of space, and unleashed a fine curled effort into the bottom corner,” Yamal said of his 30th minute goal.
The strike made Yamal the youngest goalscorer this century in Copa del Rey history at 16 years and 195 days old. He overtakes previous record holder Juanmi Jiménez, who scored for Málaga in 2010 aged 16 years and 238 days.
Barcelona initially went down 1-0 to Athletic Club within the early minutes. But Yamal’s moment of magic, coming after Robert Lewandowski had equalized, put Xavi’s men ahead going into halftime.
Breaking Records Across Competitions
Yamal has made a habit of etching his name into Barcelona’s record books since making his first team debut last October.
Aged just 16 years and 87 days, the forward became the club’s youngest-ever La Liga goalscorer when he netted in a 2-2 draw with Granada. That goal broke the previous record held by Fabrice Olinga by 11 days.
In January’s Spanish Super Cup clash with Osasuna, Yamal’s goal in the 2-0 victory rendered him the tournament’s youngest-ever scorer at 16 years and 306 days old.
The teenage phenom will also have opportunities in the Champions League to claim more record-breaking accolades.
Apology to Fans After Copa Exit
Despite Yamal’s magical strike, Barcelona conceded in the latter minutes as Athletic Club mounted a late comeback to win 4-2 and knock the Catalans out of the Copa del Rey.
“We left everything on the pitch. I’m sorry for the mistakes, Culés,” Yamal wrote on social media after the defeat. “We have to keep working, I don’t know any other way.”
Manager Xavi absolved the young star of blame for the result.
“I am disappointed not to take the chances at 2-2, but there is nothing to blame the kid for,” Xavi said. “He is a 16-year-old who is playing amazingly. He generates [the chances] himself.”
As Yamal continues gaining first-team experience, Barcelona will expect many more brilliant goals and record-setting moments from their academy gem.
