Lamine Yamal penalty sparks CONTROVERSY! Pundits question spot-kick in Barcelona's 2-4 win over Levante

Barcelona remain untouchable at the top of the La Liga table after securing their fifth consecutive victory of the season. The side led by Flick has managed to overcome every opponent placed in front of them so far, establishing one of the club's most prolific scoring starts in many decades.

This latest triumph came away at Levante in a 2-4 win that became slightly complicated in the final stages of the match. Despite the pressure, the Blaugrana showed the clinical edge that has defined their early-season performances under the German manager.

The turning point of the second half arrived when Jon Ander Gonzalez Cuesta pointed to the spot in favor of Barcelona following an incident involving Aissa Mandi and Lamine Yamal. Mandi, formerly of Real Betis, fell to the ground and appeared to touch the ball with his hand before subsequently tripping the young Barcelona star.

While Yamal made no mistake with the finish, blasting the ball into the top left corner, the decision to award the penalty has been met with significant resistance from several high-profile analysts who believe the referee made a fundamental error.

Paco Gonzalez has led the outcry against the officiating, even if he confessed to seeing the referee's logic in real-time. Speaking on COPE, he admitted: "I don't think it's a penalty, but I understand why he gave it. If that hand isn't there, he's clean through on goal."

Despite acknowledging the referee's difficult position, Gonzalez hit out at the decision to award the spot-kick, arguing the initial handball was far too soft to warrant a penalty and that any subsequent contact was merely a natural consequence of the play.

The debate raged across the Spanish airwaves, with Pedro Martin joining the chorus of dissent. Martin argued that the defender’s movement lacked any intent to gain an unfair advantage, insisting the contact was purely incidental. "If he had put his hand there to snatch the ball... but his hand is in a very natural position," he noted, suggesting the positioning was a direct consequence of the fall rather than a punishable offence.

The analysis was even more scathing over at Cadena SER, where resident officiating expert Iturralde Gonzalez offered a blunt dismissal of both penalty shouts. Addressing the handball and the subsequent contact between Mandi and Yamal, he pulled no punches. "The first handball is nothing, and in the second he gives him a kick, but it’s nothing. That can never be a penalty in a million years," he remarked, remarkably clearing the Real Betis man of any wrongdoing.

While the penalty remains a talking point, there is no denying the historic impact Yamal is having on this Barcelona team. With his two goals against Levante, he has reached a statistical milestone that puts him in the company of the club's greatest-ever player.

According to Opta, Yamal is the second player to score three braces in the first five games of a La Liga season in the 21st century. This feat matches the incredible start made by Lionel Messi during the 2012/13 season, further cementing Yamal's status as the cornerstone of the post-Xavi era.