Yamal Inspires Barcelona Rout of Galatasaray 4-1 in Champions League

Barcelona rediscovered their rhythm after a stumbling first half against Galatasaray to claim a 4-1 victory in their UEFA Champions League group-stage match in Turkey. At the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul, Lamine Yamal was the player who tore apart the home defence after the break.

"It's wonderful to have players like that," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said of Yamal. "He turned the game around for us."

The win lifts Barcelona to the top of the Champions League standings with two wins from two as the second round of matches reached its halfway point. Galatasaray remain without a point and sit near the bottom of the table.

"We are at a very high level. We have to keep it up; the season is very long. We can't let up," Barcelona's Fermin Lopez told a Spanish television station.

Barcelona dominated the early stages. With Yamal tightly marked by the home defence on the right flank, many of their attacks were funnelled down the opposite side through Anthony Gordon.

Galatasaray, however, took the lead in the 27th minute. After Gordon went down inside the penalty area, the hosts broke quickly through Rafael Leao on the left. Leao pulled the ball back to the edge of the box for Russia's Aleksey Batrakov, whose shot deflected off Joao Cancelo and into the corner of the net.

"That goal made things strange for us, because we had dominated until then. But we knew how to respond and come back," Fermin said.

The goal sparked a period of intense pressure from the hosts, culminating in Victor Osimhen rising to head a corner past goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Baris Yilmaz put the ball over the line but was flagged offside.

Barcelona regained control. When Yamal went down on the edge of the box, the ball fell unexpectedly to Davinson Sanchez, who immediately lost possession. The ball reached Dani Olmo, who slipped a pass through for Cancelo to score.

Early in the second half, Yamal made his mark. After setting up Gordon for a missed chance, he helped put Barca ahead in the 50th minute with a gently curling cross that placed the ball on Fermin's forehead, and the midfielder headed into the net.

"He is a friend and a great teammate," Fermin said of Yamal. "When he has the ball, I always look to make a run. He is the best in the world. Off the pitch we are very close, and that shows on it."

Three minutes later, Yamal beat Eren Elmali three times in three different ways in a tight space before laying the ball to Gordon in front of goal. This time the English forward made no mistake, while Elmali — a Turkey international — raised his hands to the sky in a gesture of helplessness.

By the 65th minute, Yamal dribbled in from the flank and delivered a pass to substitute striker Gabriel Jesus. The former Arsenal player failed to control the ball, but it deflected to Karim Adeyemi, who fired emphatically into the net.

"When you see the chances Lamine creates in every training session, it's the same in matches," Flick said. "I have many top-quality players. Everyone looks to Lamine — that's completely natural."

Yamal could have scored himself, but after being quickest to a loose ball, his shot flew over the crossbar.

The 19-year-old finished the match without a goal, which would have moved him closer to Kylian Mbappe's record for Champions League goals as a teenager. Yamal — who became the youngest captain in Barcelona's history in the previous round of matches — wore the armband again when Pedri was substituted.