Girona 1-4 Barcelona: Yamal scores two as Blaugrana stay perfect

Lamine Yamal struck twice in the first half to help Barcelona maintain their perfect start in LaLiga with a commanding 4-1 win at Girona, despite them going down to 10 men.

Yamal gave Barca a two-goal lead with two strikes in seven first-half minutes, dispossessing David Lopez before racing through on goal to curl home his first.

The teenager’s second came following good work from Robert Lewandowski, who teed him up to strike through a crowded penalty area and in after 37 minutes.

Dani Olmo extended their lead further with an angled finish after the break, then Pedri tapped home a 64th-minute fourth.

Girona substitute Cristhian Stuani netted a consolation goal in the 80th minute, six minutes before Barca were reduced to 10 men, forward Ferran Torres receiving a straight red card for a nasty studs-up challenge on Yaser Asprilla.

The Blaugrana’s fifth straight win keeps them top of LaLiga on 15 points, four ahead of Real Madrid and Villarreal, while Girona are seventh, eight points off the summit.

17- @FCBarcelona have scored 17 goals in @LaLiga
24/25, their best start after their first five games of a season since 17/18 (17). Before the Messi era, the last season to find a similar scoring start was 1959/60 campaign (17). Flow. #FCB pic.twitter.com/snLpIjTKBD

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 15, 2024

Data Debrief: Post-Messi high for Barca

Barcelona have scored 17 goals through their first five games of the season in LaLiga, making a stunning start to life under new boss Hansi Flick.

That is the most they have managed through their opening five matches of a campaign since they also hit 17 in 2017-18.

Prior to the Lionel Messi era, the last time they had netted more at this stage of a season was in 1959-60, when they also scored 17 times.