He did not net Barca’s opener himself, but it was his high pressing that forced a mistake from the Oviedo back line and teed up Dani Olmo to drill into the bottom corner. Brazilian winger Raphinha then calmly chipped the Blaugrana into a two-goal lead five minutes later.
Points had been wrapped up by that point, but Yamal made sure to grab most of the post-match headlines. In the 73rd minute, a ball lofted into the box by Olmo fell slightly behind Barcelona’s 18-year-old superstar. He contorted his body in the air to fire a flying volley into the back of the net.
Yamal was, unsurprisingly, all smiles as he wheeled away in celebration. His effort ensured that Barca could move back down through the gears and relax a little as torrential rain began to fall in Catalunya.
There was to be no dampening of Yamal's spirits, with his reputation as a game-changer being enhanced. Oviedo manager Guillermo Almada was quick to hail the youngster afterwards, saying of his special strike: “We are talking about a player from another galaxy.”
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