Lamine Yamal reveals he will gift match ball from hat-trick to his mum after Barcelona’s win over Villarreal

Barcelona dominated Villarreal at Camp Nou and Yamal was at the heart of all the action. The youngster was superb and ran the away side ragged, scoring a hat-trick of left-footed efforts into the far corner as he continued to perfect his trademark finish.

The home side started a little shaky, but when Fermin Lopez robbed Pape Gueye of possession in the middle of the park and slipped Yamal through, there was only going to be one outcome. The winger opened his body and slotted below the onrushing goalkeeper to hand Hansi Flick’s side the lead in under half an hour.

The second Yamal goal was the pick of the bunch as he chased down a loose Lopez pass on the right touchline. He drove inside, using fancy footwork and step-overs to toy with Sergi Cardona and beat his man. Alberto Moleiro then came across to try and block his path, but the clever and stumbling Yamal chopped the ball over the outstretched foot of Moleiro and into space. The ball bounced up nicely for the Barcelona man who wrapped a scorching effort into the top left corner.

In the second half, Villarreal snatched a goal back from a corner, but Yamal would soon put the game beyond doubt. Played through by Pedri, the Spanish forward had just the goalkeeper to beat and made no mistake with a curled finish into the bottom corner. He was then replaced for Roony Bardghji and given a standing ovation by the adoring crowd.

After the game and scoring the first hat-trick of his career, Yamal collected the match ball. He made his way over to the friends and family section and was embraced by those closest to him. He explained: “My mum will get the hat-trick ball, definitely!”

Speaking after the game, he reflected on a return to form after a difficult period. He told Movistar+, via BeIN Sports: “It was a mix of everything. I wasn’t feeling well myself, plus the pubalgia. I wasn’t happy playing, and you could see it. For about a week now, I feel much better. I feel like smiling while playing again, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Now I’m happy playing.

“People expect me to score 100 goals per season since I was 16, but that’s difficult.”

Barcelona have found themselves on the favourable side of the Champions League draw – avoiding the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. The Catalan giants have been pitted against Newcastle United, a side they already dispatched of earlier in the season.

Should they see off the tricky trip to St James’ Park, Barcelona will take on one of Atletico Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals. Then a potential semi-final with Premier League leaders Arsenal could lay in waiting – but the Gunners will first have to overcome Bayer Leverkusen and then one of Bodo/Glimt or Sporting CP.

Yamal will be determined to help his club return to the pinaccle of European football and will know performances like his own against Villarreal could go a long way to ensuring the Blaugrana get there. His minutes and expectations will have to be managed though.