Lamine Yamal Shines in Barcelona's 5-0 Victory Over Valencia

Lamine Yamal is back – and he didn’t bother easing his way in.

The 19-year-old lit up Mestalla on Sunday night, scoring twice in FC Barcelona’s ruthless 5-0 demolition of Valencia, his first goals of this La Liga campaign and a sharp reminder of why he’s considered Spain’s next great star.

Early strike, personal tribute

It took him six minutes.

Yamal darted into space, took a pass in stride and, still at full speed, whipped his leg up to waist height. With just the tip of his toes, he redirected the ball past the keeper and into the net, a finish that looked improvised but oozed class.

The celebration was already planned. Thumb to his mouth, he dedicated the goal to his little brother Keyne, who was reportedly turning four on the day of the game. Keyne and their mother watched from the stands, seeing the teenager own the stage in their honor.

Barcelona never looked back.

Barça run riot

With the opener on the board, the champions turned the match into a statement.

Fermín López added his name to the scoresheet, Raphinha struck as Valencia’s resistance crumbled, and then came the inevitable from the midfield metronome. Rodri, Yamal’s Spain teammate and freshly crowned Golden Ball winner, joined the party with a goal of his own, stretching the lead and underlining the gulf between the sides.

Valencia were chasing shadows. Barcelona were already thinking about goal difference.

Yamal closes the show

The night began with Yamal. It ended with him too.

In the 84th minute, Dani Olmo slipped him the ball and Yamal did the rest. Shaping his body, he swung his left foot across himself, sending the shot arcing across his body and into the net. Another clean, confident finish. Another reminder that his ceiling keeps rising.

Those two goals bookended the rout and sealed a perfect start to the league season: Barcelona sit top of the La Liga table at 4-0, looking every bit like defending champions.

Yamal, who shattered records for club and league before a hamstring injury cut short his previous campaign, now looks fully restored. Barcelona lifted the La Liga trophy in May without him at the finish line.

This time, if he stays on the pitch, how far can he drag them ahead of the rest?