"I didn't feel great [earlier this season]. There was the [groin] problem and, generally, I wasn't happy. It was a mix of many things. You could tell. I have felt a lot better for a week or so now. I am smiling when I am playing, which wasn't the case for a while, and I am happy on the pitch."
"Despite those issues, Yamal has still been one of Barcelona's better performers this season and, after Saturday's hat trick, he is their top scorer with 18 goals in 34 matches all competitions. That matches his total across the whole of last season -- in 21 fewer games."
"His treble against Villarreal was the first scored by an 18-year-old in Spain's top flight since 1967. Only two players have ever registered a hat trick at a younger age, although you have to go back nearly 100 years to find them: José Iraragorri aged 17 years and 337 days in 1930 and Pombo aged 18 years and 200 days 1934."
Lamine Yamal scored a hat trick in Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Villarreal, netting twice in the first half and once after the break. At 18 years old, he became the first player of that age to score a treble in LaLiga since 1967. Yamal acknowledged struggling earlier this season due to a groin injury and other factors affecting his performance and enjoyment of the game. However, he reports feeling significantly better recently and smiling while playing again. Despite his earlier difficulties, Yamal has accumulated 18 goals across 34 matches this season, matching his entire previous season's total in 21 fewer games. Coach Hansi Flick attributed some of Yamal's challenges to increased defensive attention from opponents.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]