Lamine Yamal reached a career milestone on Saturday, netting his first professional hat-trick in a dominant 4-1 victory over Villarreal. The 18-year-old’s clinical display at Camp Nou extends Barcelona’s lead at the summit of La Liga to four points over rivals Real Madrid.
The Spanish international struck twice in the first half before coolly stroking in a third to become the youngest player this century to score a La Liga hat-trick. After a period of struggling with a groin issue, Yamal admitted to Movistar that he finally felt the “desire to smile” while playing again.
“I wasn’t feeling good about myself… I wasn’t playing happy, and I think it showed,” Yamal confessed with the match ball tucked under his arm. He has now equalled his tally of 18 goals from last season, answering critics who called for more consistent finishing from the teenage prodigy.
Hansi Flick praised his star’s resurgence, noting that Yamal had previously lacked the “confidence or dynamic” to beat the double-teams frequently deployed against him. With Robert Lewandowski adding a late fourth, the Blaugrana look increasingly formidable as they turn the pressure back onto the chasing pack.