Updated at 22.31
BARCELONA STARLET Lamine Yamal became La Liga’s youngest-ever goalscorer when he struck against Granada on Sunday.
The Spanish winger scored at 16 years and 87 days old, taking the record from Malaga’s Fabrice Olinga, who scored at 16 years and 98 days in 2012.
With Barcelona two goals down, Yamal pulled them back into the game when Joao Felix found him and he rolled the ball into an empty net from point-blank range just before half-time.
Yamal extended his contract with Barcelona until 2026 earlier in October, with a €1 billion release clause.
He became Barcelona’s youngest debutant at 15 years and 290 days old against Real Betis in April last season.
This season Yamal went on to become La Liga’s youngest starter in the 21st century, and also the youngest assist provider in the same time frame.
Last month he also became Spain’s youngest-ever player and goalscorer as La Roja thrashed Georgia 7-1 in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
Barcelona ultimately came back from two goals down to share a thrilling 2-2 draw with Granada but lost ground in the La Liga title race.
Bryan Zaragoza sent the hosts two goals ahead but Yamal and Sergi Roberto’s goals preserved the champions’ record as the only unbeaten team in La Liga.
However the Catalans are now third and sit three points behind leaders Real Madrid, and one behind neighbours Girona, who both won on Saturday.
Zaragoza struck twice in the first half, breaking the deadlock after only 17 seconds — the fastest goal Barcelona have conceded in the 21st century.
Yamal pulled Barcelona back into the game just before half-time.
Xavi Hernandez’s side levelled with three minutes remaining when substitute Sergi Roberto turned home, but they could not find a late winner in a high-octane finale.
It was the third comeback they have made in recent weeks, beating Celta Vigo from two goals down and twice falling behind at Mallorca in another 2-2 draw.
Barcelona’s night was also marred by a knee injury to Jules Kounde, with the Catalans already tending to Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Raphinha in the treatment room.
Xavi deployed Ferran Torres as a false nine to replace Lewandowski, while he handed Fermin Lopez his first start for the club in midfield.
The coach left Oriol Romeu on the bench, starting without a pure defensive midfielder and dividing the role up between Ilkay Gundogan and Gavi.
The latter turned into trouble immediately, with Granada stealing the ball from the young midfielder in the build-up to the first goal.
Lucas Boye fed Zaragoza, who fired across Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who might have done more to keep the shot from finding the bottom corner, although the ball appeared to bobble before passing the Barcelona goalkeeper.
Gavi forced a save at the other end and Joao Felix fired wide as Barcelona hunted the equaliser, but struggled to break down Granada’s defence.
Zaragoza doubled the hosts’ lead at the Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium with a brilliant individual goal, leaving Kounde wobbling before finishing sublimely with the outside of his boot into the top corner.
- Record breaker -
Barcelona found a route back into the match in first-half stoppage time when Felix prodded the ball into Yamal’s path just a couple of yards out and he rolled home to break yet another record.
However, there was no time for Yamal to celebrate.
Barcelona hunted for another goal after the break, with Gundogan forcing a good stop from Andre Ferreira and Ronald Araujo hammering inches wide.
Eventually, the equaliser came through Sergi Roberto, who turned home Alejandro Balde’s low cross, while Granada complained about a collision earlier in the move they wanted called as a foul.
Zaragoza almost claimed his hat trick as the hosts responded furiously, but he crashed a shot off the post as the game flew end-to-end.
Felix headed in what he thought was the winner and Xavi leapt for joy on the touchline, but Ferran Torres, who had not touched the ball yet was ruled to be interfering with play, was offside.
An unfortunate ending to the Montpellier vs Clermont match 😔
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 8, 2023
The match has been abandoned after goalkeeper Mory Diaw was stunned by a firework thrown from the crowd. The Senegalese goalkeeper had to be stretched off.#Ligue1 pic.twitter.com/51UCsIrvaa
Paris Saint-Germain bounced back from their heavy Champions League loss at Newcastle United to beat Rennes 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Sunday, while the earlier game between Montpellier and Clermont was abandoned after a firecracker was thrown at visiting goalkeeper Mory Diaw.
PSG were thrashed 4-1 in Newcastle on Wednesday, a result and a performance which raised serious doubts about their prospects in Europe this season.
But they returned to form against Rennes at a ground where they have regularly struggled in recent years, recording a win which lifts them up to third in the table, two points behind leaders Monaco.
Coach Luis Enrique abandoned his experiment with playing four forwards, and the returning midfielder Vitinha opened the scoring with a brilliant arcing strike into the top corner from an Ousmane Dembele pass just after the half-hour mark.
It was 2-0 four minutes later when Warren Zaire-Emery crossed for Achraf Hakimi, arriving unmarked in the box, to head in.
Amine Gouiri headed in from close range to get Rennes back into the match in the 56th minute, but PSG scored again just two minutes later as Hakimi’s low delivery was converted at the near post by Randal Kolo Muani, who had been dropped from the starting line-up.
Kolo Muani had another goal disallowed for offside, while Kylian Mbappe somehow shot over late on after a brilliant burst forward that had taken him around the goalkeeper.
- Montpellier face punishment -
In Montpellier, television pictures showed a firecracker landing next to the feet of Clermont goalkeeper Diaw and exploding with a loud bang, just as the match was entering stoppage time.
A clearly stunned Diaw went down and needed treatment before being stretchered off, and the game was halted before being abandoned following a crisis meeting.
“The doctor who examined the Clermont goalkeeper certified that he was not in a condition to return to the field. The match is therefore halted definitively,” referee Florent Batta told media at the Stade de la Mosson.
Montpellier were leading 4-2 and on course to win their first home game of the season until the incident, and now risk serious punishment from the French footballing authorities with the prospect of having to replay the game without their fans at the very least.
A police spokesman told AFP that the suspected perpetrator had been arrested and taken into custody.
Diaw was able to return to Clermont with his teammates after the game and was due to undergo further tests on Monday, the club said.
“We are disgusted, disappointed and sad,” admitted the Montpellier president, Laurent Nicollin, as he complained that the actions of one individual “could penalise the whole team”.
Monaco are a point clear of Nice at the Ligue 1 summit following a 3-1 victory at Reims on Saturday, while their Cote d’Azur neighbours won 1-0 at Metz to maintain their unbeaten record this season.
Like PSG, Brest are two points off top spot after a 1-1 draw with Toulouse.
