16-year-old player helps Barca defeat Tottenham

Spain Midfielder Lamine Yamal contributed three goals as Barca beat Tottenham 4-2 to win the Joan Gamper Cup for the 11th consecutive time.

Scorers: Lewandowski 3, Torres 81, Fati 90, Ezzalzouli 93 - Skipp 24, 36

Yamal, born in 2007, entered the field in the 80th minute to replace Raphinha on the right wing of the home team. It only took him 13 minutes to make his mark on three goals, including an assist and skillful dribbling. From a 1-2 deficit, Barca won 4-2 in a familiar friendly match at Camp Nou before the new season.

Lamine Yamal (center) celebrates scoring during Barca's win over Tottenham at Camp Nou on August 8, 2023. Photo: BR

Yamal was born in Spain to a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea. He joined Barca in 2014 and was the youngest player in Barca's history to play in La Liga last season. Every time Barca scored a goal, the camera immediately turned to the 16-year-old midfielder, even though he did not score. Yamal's disruptive passes helped Barca turn the game around.

Barca started with a strong lineup, with Robert Lewandowski leading the attack. The Polish striker opened the scoring after three minutes with a close-range tap-in from Raphinha's cross.

Tottenham used a second team, with Harry Kane not travelling to Spain, and Son Heung-min not being used as a substitute. However, new coach Ange Postecoglou made his mark by helping the visitors play with ball control, short and quick passes. In the second half and the first half of the second half, Tottenham kept the ball even better than the home team, and scored twice thanks to midfielder Oliver Skipp.

However, Tottenham gradually withdrew their main players in the second half, causing them to lose control of the game and lose three goals in a row. In the 81st minute, Yamal quickly escaped down the right and crossed for Ferran Torres to tap into the empty net. In the 90th minute, the 16-year-old player passed Reguilon and passed into the middle for Torres to pass the ball for Ansu Fati to score in a one-on-one situation. Three minutes later, Yamal again passed Reguilon when the defender was injured and did not try to steal the ball. The young Barca talent passed to Fermin Lopez to rush down and cross for Abde Ezzalzouli to tap into the empty net.

Tottenham players were not too sad after the final whistle, as they laughed and joked with their opponents. Coach Postecoglou and his team showed positive signs ahead of their Premier League opener against Brentford on August 13. Meanwhile, Barca will play their first La Liga match against Getafe a day later.

Hoang An

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