Yamal’s acrobatic goal helps Barcelona beat Oviedo to regain Spanish league lead
Lamine Yamal scored with an acrobatic volley and Barcelona beat last-place Oviedo 3-0 to regain the lead of the Spanish league on Sunday. Dani Olmo and Raphinha also struck in the second half with both players taking advantage of defensive mistakes by the Oviedo defense. Yamal scored his 73rd-minute goal with a bicycle kick from near the penalty spot. Yamal connected with Olmo’s cross to swiftly send the ball into the far corner with his left foot.
It was the first league goal of the year for Yamal, and eighth in La Liga this season. He received a loud ovation from the home crowd when he was substituted in the 79th. It was Barcelona’s 10th win in as many home matches in the league this season. The victory moved Barcelona one point ahead of second-place Real Madrid, which won 2-0 at Villarreal on Saturday.
“We didn’t play our best in the first half but we found our way in the second and could score the goals,” Raphinha said. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said his team got off to a “tough start.” “The most important thing was scoring the first goal, because from then on we were able to play our game,” he said. Sunday’s match ended under a hailstorm in Barcelona. The club presented the Spanish Super Cup trophy to the fans before the game. Olmo opened the scoring with a low shot in the 52nd after the Oviedo defense failed to fully clear a ball inside the area.
Raphinha added to the lead five minutes later after Oviedo defender David Costas tried to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Aaron Escandell but left it short. Raphinha came in to intercept the pass and lobbed the ball over Escandell. Barcelona had lost 2-1 at Real Sociedad in its previous league match, a result that had ended its 11-match winning streak across all competitions. Oviedo is winless in 14 consecutive matches in all competitions. Its last win was a 2-1 victory over Valencia in September.
Atletico in third place: Atletico Madrid beat Mallorca 3-0 and is third in the league. It was the first time in six matches so far this year that Atletico scored more than one goal. The victory moved Diego Simeone’s team three points ahead of Villarreal, which remains with a game in hand. Alexander Sorloth put the hosts ahead by scoring his fourth goal of the year in the 22nd minute.
Atletico’s second goal was an unfortunate own-goal by Osasuna defender David Lopez in the 75th. His teammate Mateu Morey attempted to clear a cross inside the area and his shot struck Lopez in the face and ricocheted back into the net. Midfielder Thiago Almada sealed Atletico’s second straight league victory in the 87th.
Mallorca has only one win in its last five league games - 3-2 against Athletic Bilbao last weekend. It has three losses and a draw in this streak. A minute of silence was held before kickoff in all of this weekend’s games for the victims of two deadly train wrecks in Spain this week.
