Barcelona opened its Champions League campaign with a dominant 5-1 victory over Feyenoord on Wednesday at Camp Nou. Winger Lamine Yamal starred with a goal, two assists, and a historic tournament milestone under manager Hansi Flick.
The European journey for the Catalan club began in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night. Hansi Flick guided his side to a commanding 5-1 romp against Dutch giants Feyenoord at Camp Nou, extending what has been a spectacular start to the new term across all competitions. Barcelona entered the contest leading La Liga after four matches, and that sharp domestic form instantly translated to the continental stage.
It took only three minutes for the hosts to break the deadlock. Lamine Yamal delivered a swift touch to captain and current La Liga top scorer Raphinha, who outmaneuvered one defender and used a left-footed feint to elude two others before driving a shot into the back of the net.
Goal Tally, New Records, and a Dazzling Free Kick
Barcelona doubled the advantage in the 22nd minute when summer signing Karim Adeyemi slotted home a superb right-footed curler. After the interval, Raphinha secured his brace in the 57th minute following a precise pass from Pedri.
The highlight of the evening arrived in the 78th minute. Standing over a direct free kick in a central position just outside the Dutch penalty area, Lamine Yamal unleashed a right-footed shot that penetrated the defensive wall and beat the goalkeeper to score his first-ever direct free-kick goal in the competition. The strike marked his second goal of the match and the fourth of the night for Barcelona.
Feyenoord briefly pulled one back through Sem Steijn in the 82nd minute, but Gabriel Jesus restored the four-goal cushion by heading in a fifth off a late assist from Yamal.
Surpassing Mbappe to Claim a Historic Champions League Milestone
Beyond the scoreline, the fixture produced a significant individual milestone. Entering the match level with Kylian Mbappé with 20 goal involvements in the Champions League before turning 20 years old, Lamine Yamal’s goal and two assists against Feyenoord pushed his career total in the competition to 23 goal involvements.
That output—comprising 12 goals and 11 assists—allowed the 19-year-old to surpass Mbappé and become the most decisive player under 20 in the history of the tournament. Furthermore, according to data from MisterChip, Yamal became the third-youngest direct free-kick scorer of the Champions League era at 19 years and 58 days old, sitting behind only Wayne Rooney (2004) and Ismail Izmailov (2001).
The teenager’s overall record with Barcelona now stands at 101 goal involvements in official competitions, breaking down into 54 goals and 47 assists.
Work Ethic and Tougher Tests Ahead in Europe
Following his brilliant dead-ball strike, Yamal immediately made a beeline for the Barcelona bench, calling over Raphinha—who had earlier been substituted—to celebrate together.
That intensity will face stiffer examinations soon. Following this opening win, Barcelona’s European schedule demands a trip to Istanbul to face Galatasaray on October 13, followed a week later by an away fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, the double defending champions.
