Barcelona: The brilliance of Pedri, the magic of Yamal

The only goal scored by Lamine Yamal, created by Pedri, enabled Barcelona to achieve a vital 1-0 win away at Bilbao amidst a difficult situation.

Stopping Yamal's moves is no easy task for any defense. The 18-year-old Catalan is the key difference between Barcelona and the rest of La Liga.

The Yamal moment

Lamine Yamal needed just one moment, a move very familiar to him, to decide a seemingly endless match in the tense atmosphere of San Mames, where two rivals who had done everything yet were eliminated from the Copa del Rey faced each other. The 18-year-old winger knew how to manage his energy on the field for Barcelona's benefit, while coach Hansi Flick rotated personnel to distribute stamina among players ahead of a packed schedule, with a demanding match at Newcastle awaiting them on Tuesday night.

Lamine's goal was like a blessing in a flawed match for both teams, affected by midweek repercussions. Barcelona struggled to continue their familiar winning streak against Bilbao since Hansi Flick took charge. The goal tally between the two teams under him is 17-1, including Lamine's latest strike. He is now Barcelona's top scorer with 19 goals across all competitions.

Barcelona fielded a very unfamiliar defensive lineup, consisting of Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, and Joao Cancelo, due to injuries to Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde. Consequently, Bilbao's attacks frequently emerged thanks to Barcelona's fragile defense. "Blaugrana" could not perform as well as in recent matches, where they heavily defeated Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, because the squad was not complete. The absence of Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, and Pedri greatly impacted the collective operation. No one adjusts the match tempo better than Pedri. That explains why Barcelona only launched two shots in the first 45 minutes—none accurate, the lowest in the 2025-26 season—despite Yamal's efforts.

Bilbao was not more certain either. The Basque team started the match missing key player Nico Williams, then lost Unai Gomez due to injury. The host's defense focused on raising the offside trap to prevent incursions by Barcelona's forwards and midfielders, especially Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo. Meanwhile, Barcelona relied on Marcus Rashford's speed and Marc Bernal's ball-handling ability.

Barcelona's hope lies in the La Masia academy, a factor Flick strongly developed amid limited finances, particularly the 2007 generation: Cubarsi - Bernal - Lamine. However, while waiting for improved accuracy, Barcelona only controlled the ball harmlessly and exerted rather weak pressure on Bilbao's field.

The combination of Pedri and Yamal

Both teams were exhausted from cup matches. The match pace was slow, lacking fluency, with constant ball losses and almost no notable opportunities after an initial lively period fueled by San Mames' special atmosphere. No Barcelona player created breakthroughs or gaps in Bilbao's penalty area. Rarely is such a bland match seen between Bilbao and Barcelona at the "Cathedral" San Mames.

Upon noticing the lack of intensity, Flick decided to introduce Pedri immediately after halftime. This was risky, after Flick had recklessly used the 23-year-old longer than planned in the Atletico match and luckily he wasn't injured. Pedri brought light into the match. Barcelona pushed the ball to the host's half and the game opened up more. Bilbao still defended proactively, so Flick added Raphinha, Fermin, and Robert Lewandowski simultaneously to improve the attacking rhythm. However, Barcelona's passes were still fragmented while Bilbao boosted energy through Ernesto Valverde's changes.

When collective play didn't make a difference, the Pedri–Lamine combination decided the match. Pedri carried the ball long in midfield before passing to the right flank for Lamine. There, Yamal moved into the penalty area, controlled the ball, took two touches as Adama Boiro slipped, then unleashed his familiar left-footed curler into the far corner of Unai Simon's goal. With this goal, Lamine has 14 goals in La Liga 2025-26. He nears the record for goals in a La Liga season before turning 19—held by Raul Gonzalez with 19 goals in 1995-96. This is also his 50th professional career goal, 44 for Barcelona and 6 for Spain, at just 18 years and 237 days old.

The combination of Lamine and Pedri helped Barcelona create a difference and maintain calmness. A very different image from the usual performance of "Blaugrana," except for Yamal's goal. Nevertheless, the important thing is the victory, as Flick said, "this result is more than 3 points."