Lamine Yamal continues to etch his name in the history books for both club and country.
The Barcelona winger showed no signs of sluggishness in his first game back from international duty. Hansi Flick's side had revenge on the mind as they faced Girona, a side that fired eight goals past the Catalans in two matches last season.
Yamal opened the game's scoring in the 30th minute. The 17-year-old caught David López attempting to play the ball out the back and dispossessed the defender just outside the box. Suddenly, Yamal was through on goal and made no mistakes with his left foot to send a strike past Paulo Gazzaniga.
LAMINE YAMAL GIVES BARCELONA THE LEAD OVER GIRONA!!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Je3jZcFzFI
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 15, 2024
Just seven minutes later, Yamal would punish Girona again. Míchel's men failed to properly clear Raphinha's free kick, leaving the ball to trickle right to the feet of a streaking Yamal. The Spain international buried a powerful strike into the back of the net, giving Gazzaniga no chance at stopping the effort.
LAMINE YAMAL SCORES A SECOND FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX 😱 pic.twitter.com/9VnnQldvMC
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 15, 2024
Barcelona would go on to win the game 4–1 after Dani Olmo and Pedri added to its lead in the second half.
Although he did not score his first ever La Liga hat trick, Yamal still became the youngest player in La Liga history to record a first-half brace. He now has eight La Liga goals, just three off from Ansu Fati, Bojan Krkic and Pablo Pombo, who are all tied for the most La Liga goals before turning 18 years old.
The La Liga record is just one of many Yamal has broken in his young career. He became the youngest player to ever record a brace in the Spanish top-flight when he scored twice against Granada last season. Yamal also became the youngest player to score in the European Championship.
Yamal's contributions to both Barcelona and Spain earned him a spot on the 2024 Ballon d'Or shortlist and a Kopa Trophy nomination.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lamine Yamal's First-Half Brace Against Girona Sets La Liga Record.
