Kamal Ghorui
Barcelona strengthened their grip on the La Liga title race with a commanding 3-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday, opening up a four-point lead at the top of the table. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal played a central role, responding to an earlier miss with a stunning long-range finish that underlined his growing influence. Robert Lewandowski set Barça on their way in the first half before 18-year-old academy graduate Marc Bernal wrapped up the points late on with the first goal of his senior career. The result gives Barcelona breathing space at the summit, although second-placed Real Madrid have the chance to cut the deficit to a single point when they travel to Valencia on Sunday. Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s initial effort down the left was blocked. The striker calmly brought the ball under control, shifted it away from a defender and finished with precision from close range. Rashford’s growing confidence was evident again just before the interval. His curling free kick in stoppage time forced an excellent save from Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman. The rebound dropped invitingly for Jules Koundé inside the area, but his mishit effort fell to Yamal, who surprisingly failed to convert from virtually on the goal line. Lewandowski, one of the game’s most prolific scorers with more than 650 club goals to his name, was quick to encourage the young winger after the miss. Yamal made amends in emphatic fashion in the 61st minute. Skipping past a defender on the edge of the box, he unleashed a fierce, dipping left-footed strike into the bottom corner, leaving Roman rooted to the spot. Both Yamal and Lewandowski were substituted later in the match and watched on approvingly as Bernal added the third in the 83rd minute. Barcelona cut through Mallorca’s midfield with a sharp passing move that released the teenager, who showed impressive composure to glide past a defender and slot the ball neatly inside the post. Elsewhere in La Liga, two fixtures were postponed. Rayo Vallecano’s home clash with Oviedo was called off due to safety concerns over the pitch at Vallecas Stadium, while Sevilla’s match against Girona was also postponed because of adverse weather. Oviedo said it understood the decision but criticised the late notice and confirmed it was considering legal action.
