Barcelona extended their La Liga lead to four points after a 3-1 victory over Elche at Martínez Valero Stadium on Saturday. The 18-year-old star scored his 13th goal of the campaign and set up Marcus Rashford's late goal to secure all three points.
Yamal opened the scoring in the sixth minute, collecting a long pass from Dani Olmo and dribbling past former Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña before netting. Elche striker Álvaro Rodríguez equalized briefly, but Ferran Torres restored the lead just before halftime. Rashford sealed the win in the 72nd minute after Yamal broke clear and squared the ball.
Flick Praises Yamal's Potential
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his young star after the match, saying he still "has potential to reach another level."
"We played a fantastic game today – except in the final meters," Flick said. "Normally in the first half we would have decided this game."
It was Yamal's third consecutive goal-scoring game. He also found the net in the 3-0 win over Real Oviedo last weekend and the 4-1 victory over Copenhagen on Wednesday that secured Champions League round of 16 qualification.
Match Statistics
Barcelona dominated with 30 total shots compared to Elche's nine. The hosts were fortunate to trailing by only one goal at halftime, with Elche defender Víctor Chus clearing shots off the line and both Dani Olmo and Torres hitting the woodwork three times combined.
Elche remain 12th in the table despite the defeat. They have lost only once at home in 11 previous matches at Martínez Valero Stadium.
Around La Liga
Atlético Madrid was held to a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Levante, three days after their 2-1 Champions League loss to Bodø/Glimt. The result left third-placed Atlético 10 points behind Barcelona. Striker Alexander Sorloth was taken to hospital after colliding heads with a Levante player.
Villarreal secured a 2-2 draw at Osasuna thanks to Gerard Moreno's second-half double. Osasuna had dominated the first half with goals from winger Víctor Múñoz and striker Ante Budimir.
Oviedo ended a 15-match winless run with a 1-0 home victory over Girona, thanks to Ilyas Chaira's second-half goal. The promoted side had not won since late September but remained last place at six points from safety.