For much of this season, Lamine Yamal has found himself in the headlines for matters off the pitch rather than his performances on it. The 18-year-old Barcelona winger had gone three consecutive La Liga matches without scoring and had delivered a subdued display in the El Clásico, prompting whispers that he was struggling to cope with the rising pressure surrounding him.
However, last night appeared to mark a turning point. Barcelona defeated Elche 3–1 in La Liga, with Yamal opening the scoring in the ninth minute to end his brief goal drought and relieve some of the mounting scrutiny. The Catalan side quickly doubled their advantage through Ferran Torres in the 11th minute, before Marcus Rashford — on loan from Manchester United — added a third in the 61st minute.
Yamal’s strike was his 17th La Liga goal in 80 appearances, a remarkable tally for a teenager. Among players under the age of 19 across Europe’s top five leagues in the 21st century, only Kylian Mbappé has scored more (23 goals). Yet, despite the attention on Yamal, Rashford also stole the spotlight with another commanding performance.
The English forward has been in excellent form since joining Barcelona on loan. In 14 appearances for the club, he has registered six goals and seven assists — the highest direct goal contribution of any player in the current squad. However, manager Hansi Flick insists there is still more to come from him.
Speaking after the match, Flick said:
“When you look at the chances he had, you can see he could have scored one or two more. But we’re very happy with his performance. I’m extremely pleased with him — he’s proven himself to be an important player for the fans, the club, and his teammates.”
Rashford himself was modest in his post-match comments, saying:
“I just try to make the right decisions on the pitch. I could have had another assist or goal today; sometimes I make the wrong choice between shooting and passing — that’s football. What matters most is the team’s performance, and we won tonight.”
The victory consolidated Barcelona’s position in second place on the La Liga table, moving them to 25 points from 11 matches. Real Madrid remain top with 30 points from the same number of games.
| Team | Matches | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 11 | 30 | 1st |
| Barcelona | 11 | 25 | 2nd |
Barcelona will next turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League, where they face Club Brugge away on Wednesday night, 5 November. For Yamal, this could be the spark to reignite his season — while Rashford’s form continues to strengthen Barcelona’s title ambitions.
