- Yamal breaks another La Liga record
- Scored a controversial penalty against Rayo
- Barca held to a 1-1 draw in La Liga
With the goal against Rayo in the 40th minute of the match, Yamal set a new La Liga record as he became the youngest player to score a La Liga penalty goal in the 21st century, at the age of 18 years and 49 days.
The decision to award the Blaugrana the penalty sparked a debate among fans and experts. Yamal twisted and turned inside the Rayo box before going down under a challenge from Rayo left-back Pep Chavarria. The referee pointed to the spot and awarded a spot-kick to the visitors, but Rayo players had no scope of challenging the call due to a breakdown in the VAR system. Both teams were earlier informed about the technical glitch.
Yamal holds several other La Liga records, including being the youngest starter for Barcelona in the 21st century, the youngest player to provide an assist, the youngest player to score, and the first to score a brace under 17. The Spaniard also holds the record for being the youngest to register more than ten goal contributions and he is the first player to win two La Liga titles before the age of 18.
Hansi Flick’s Barca side, who were eventually held to a draw by Rayo courtesy of Fran Perez’s 67th-minute equaliser, will be back in action after the international break on September 14, as they take on Valencia in another league clash.
