The season belonged to Lamine Yamal. So it was only fitting that the 17-year-old phenom sealed Barcelona’s 28th Spanish league title with a goal of pure artistry – a curling left-footed rocket that lit up the Catalan derby and crowned a dominant domestic campaign.
Wearing dental braces and a fresh blond hairdo, Yamal slalomed past two Espanyol defenders before unleashing a signature strike from outside the box in the 53rd minute – a moment of magic that set Barcelona en route to a 2-0 win on Thursday.
“Today it went in,” Yamal said modestly. “I’m just happy I could help the team and celebrate it.”
It capped off a sensational season for the teenage sensation, who helped Spain lift the Euro trophy last summer and has since dazzled in La Liga with his goals, dribbles, and dazzling vision.
Under Hansi Flick, Yamal flourished alongside stars like Pedri and Raphinha, transforming a once-stuttering team into an untouchable force.
Title run to remember
The title was clinched with two rounds to spare, marking the club’s first La Liga crown since 2023.
It also completed a domestic treble – Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa – in Flick’s debut campaign, with only a gut-wrenching Champions League semifinal exit at Inter Milan denying them perfection.
Barcelona had all but ended Real Madrid’s title defense with a wild 4-3 win in El Clasico last weekend – their fourth straight victory over their fiercest rival across all competitions this season.
Madrid’s win over Mallorca on Wednesday delayed the title party, but Barca only needed two points from their last three games.
Fermin Lopez added a second in stoppage time, punishing an Espanyol side reduced to 10 men after Leandro Cabrera saw red for punching Yamal in the stomach.
Flick’s fresh blueprint
“Barcelona has to win titles – and three is really great,” Flick said. “I suffered a bit after Milan, but the response was perfect. We brought in a positive attitude and played brave football.”
Yamal credited his German boss for breathing new life into the squad: “We’re thankful to Xavi, but Flick gave us a new soul.”
Barcelona’s dominance in 2025 was near-total: 15 wins and two draws in league play since January. Pedri, marking his 200th appearance at just 22, praised Yamal’s wonder strike: “He hit two just like that in training today. We’re lucky to have him.”
Lionel Messi sent his congratulations on Instagram. Even Real Madrid offered a rare salute on X. Barcelona’s fans flooded the city’s core in jubilation as players danced under stadium sprinklers.
Derby drenched in emotion
Espanyol had its chances early. Urko Gonzalez missed narrowly on a breakaway, and Javi Puado fluffed a one-on-one against Wojciech Szczesny. The hosts, sitting 16th and still fighting to avoid relegation, couldn’t recover after Yamal’s stunner.
In an unsettling moment, play was briefly paused after a car plowed into a crowd outside RCDE Stadium. Authorities confirmed the incident was accidental, with no connection to the match.
Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia – rumored to be on Barca’s summer radar – dove in vain for Yamal’s shot. He may well be teammates with the teenager next season.
Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao clinched a Champions League berth after a 2-0 win at Getafe. Atletico Madrid slumped 2-0 at Osasuna, while Real Betis dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano, hurting their chances of a top-five finish.
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