Football

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha Shine as Barcelona Maintain Perfect Start

  • Authored By: Sports Now
  • Updated Sep 1, 2026, 10:31 IST

Barcelona extended their flawless start to the season with a 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha both netted braces, with Yamal reaching a significant career milestone for the Catalan club.

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha Shine as Barcelona Maintain Perfect Start

Barcelona continued their impressive form to open the campaign, securing a dominant 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on Monday. The win marks a third consecutive triumph for Hansi Flick’s side, maintaining their perfect record in the league despite a spirited effort from the visitors.

The match was defined by the clinical finishing of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, who both claimed braces in an entertaining encounter. For the 19-year-old Yamal, the night was particularly significant as his opening goal marked his 50th for the club, an achievement he reached two years younger than Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.

A Resilient Response to Early Setbacks

The visitors initially stunned the home crowd when Sergio Camello opened the scoring. The forward finished clinically into the top corner after being set up by Alvaro Garcia, who had exploited space behind Jules Kounde. However, Barcelona responded with immediate intensity to regain control of the contest.

Raphinha, currently enjoying a prolific run of form, leveled the score with a display of individual skill, maneuvering past Pathe Ciss before finding the net. Shortly after, a defensive error from Rayo Vallecano allowed Yamal to capitalize. The teenager created space for himself before whipping a strike into the near top corner to reach his half-century milestone.

Securing the Result in the Second Half

Barcelona extended their lead early in the second half when Florian Lejeune inadvertently turned an Anthony Gordon cross into his own net. Although Camello managed to pull one back for the visitors by heading home from a corner, the hosts remained in command. Raphinha secured his second goal of the night—and his fifth of the season, moving him to the top of the La Liga scoring charts—after a clever backheel from Gordon.

Yamal capped off the victory in stoppage time with a precise curling effort from the edge of the penalty area, assisted by substitute Karim Adeyemi. The performance highlights the depth and attacking threat available to Flick, as the team continues to build momentum in the early stages of the season.