Son Heung-min's (33, Tottenham Hotspur) insight was correct. '2007-born rookie' Lamine Yamal (18) capped off FC Barcelona's thrilling comeback.

On the 17th (Korea time), Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid 4-2 in the away match of the 28th round of the 2024-2025 La Liga, held at Riyad Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.

It was a comeback victory for Barcelona. Barcelona trailed 0-2 until the 27th minute of the second half, but then scored four goals to achieve a seemingly impossible win. Notably, they scored two late goals in stoppage time.

Thanks to this, Barcelona successfully reclaimed the lead with 60 points (19 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses) and surged ahead in the title race. They are level on points with second-place Real Madrid, who have played one more game, but lead by 16 goals in goal difference. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, having squandered a seemingly secured victory, remained in third place with 56 points.

Barcelona started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Marc Casado, Alejandro Balde, Inigo Martinez, Pau Kvaratskhelia, Jules Kounde, and Wojciech Szczesny were the first to take the field.

Atletico Madrid operated a 4-4-2 formation. Julian Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann, Samuel Lino, Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo De Paul, Giuliano Simeone, Heinildo, Clement Lenglet, Robin Le Normand, Marcos Llorente, and Jan Oblak started.

Barcelona showcased a threatening attack. In the 5th minute, Yamal had a crucial opportunity inside the box, but his left-foot shot hit the crossbar. In the 44th minute, Lewandowski shot from the left side of the box but it soared high.

The cost of missing those opportunities was painful. Atletico Madrid broke the deadlock in the 45th minute with a perfect counterattack. Griezmann, who received the ball on the left, delivered an exquisite through ball to the other side, and Simeone selflessly set it up. Alvarez connected with a precise one-touch shot to shake the net.

Atletico was the first to smile again in the second half. Once again, it was through a counterattack. In the 25th minute, Corner Gallagher completely tore through the defensive line and crossed into the center, where Alexander Sorloth finished with his left foot, making it 2-0. It was a perfect collaboration goal created by two substitutes.

However, Barcelona began to script their own drama. The comeback started with Lewandowski's goal in the 27th minute of the second half. He collected the ball inside the box with a chest trap and ultimately scored with a spectacular volley.

Barcelona quickly brought the game back to even. In the 33rd minute, Raphinha, who received the ball on the right side, sent a string-like cross behind the defense. Ferran Torres redirected it with his head to equalize at 2-2.

It didn't end there. The 17-year-old Yamal emerged as the hero. In stoppage time, he swiftly slipped past a defender outside the box and attempted a long-range shot. The deflected ball found its way into the net at a precise angle. This was Yamal's comeback goal, perfectly compensating for his earlier miss that struck the crossbar.

Barcelona's firepower showed no signs of cooling down. In the 8th minute of stoppage time, Ferran scored the clincher. After breaking up the play with a high press, he calmly dismantled the defense and netted his second goal. The fierce contest concluded with Barcelona's comeback victory.

Praise poured in for Yamal. Spain's Marca noted, "Winning is always easier with Yamal. The standout name at Barcelona is undoubtedly Yamal. He never stopped working until he was rewarded with a goal. Barcelona can secure three points more easily when Yamal steps onto the pitch."

The outlet also rated Yamal at 8 points, the highest alongside Ferran. Marca stated, "Yamal nearly scored from the start of the second half, but it went slightly wide. He made several attempts but was unlucky. Nevertheless, he kept looking for goals and scored in stoppage time, contributing crucial three points in Barcelona's title race."

Yamal is also a player that Son Heung-min considers among the top five wingers in the world. In a recent interview with Goal.com, he said, "Yamal is truly an incredible player. It’s remarkable to see him perform like this at such a young age," and in response to the question of whether Yamal could be in the TOP 5, he answered, "Of course."

Son Heung-min added, "I enjoy every play from Yamal. He is very young and has plenty of room to improve, which is a good thing. Within the next few years, he will become the best in the world." Yamal promptly responded by scoring after about five months in the league. Although he had consistently scored in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, he had remained silent in La Liga since October of last year.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Reproduction and redistribution without permission prohibited), Barcelona, Lamine Yamal social media.

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