FC Barcelona don beat Galatasaray 1-4 for Istanbul on Tuesday, for matchday two of Champions League league phase for 2026-2027 season. With that result, the Catalan side dey top the table with two wins from two games.
Matchday two of this league phase start on Tuesday and e go close on Wednesday. Among the nine matches wey dem play on Tuesday afternoon and night, Club Brugge also win 3-4 for Inter Milan stadium, Atletico Madrid beat Manchester United 2-0, and Viking and Bayern Munich draw 3-3.
Lamine Yamal decide the game inside one frantic second half for Ali Sami Yen stadium, as e help Barca come from behind and win 4-1 for Champions League. The young man create six goal chances, take five shots on target, put in four crosses, and e complete 17 successful dribbles, one number wey show say the match go exactly as Lamine Yamal want.
After e become the clear leader of Barcelona, and even wear captain armband at the end when Pedri leave field with signs of discomfort, Lamine Yamal need only 10 minutes to change the direction of the away game against Galatasaray for Istanbul. Very few players get ability to change game like that. Those wey can decide am na truly unique talents. That na exactly wetin Lamine do for first 10 minutes of second half.
Immediately after e return from dressing room, he give pass with outside of foot to Anthony Gordon, and the former Newcastle player only need push ball inside net. E look like nothing else fit happen apart from goal, but Gordon miss am. Lamine no shake. He give another masterful pass to Fermín López, and Fermín head ball to put score at 2-1.
Then Yamal do one play wey maybe only him fit describe: he fake rabona pass, control ball, and escape, setting up the third goal. Gordon owe am plenty for that moment. Lamine Yamal no stop there. For the move wey lead to Adeyemi goal, the one wey seal 4-1 win, he place ball exactly where he want. Only then he stop. But even so, e leave feeling say he still get some aces under him sleeve for when challenge harder.
Yamal, one of the main candidates for Ballon d'Or, still get one debt with Champions League. The image of him collapse for Giuseppe Meazza and Metropolitano after Inter and Atletico eliminate am for last two seasons leave mark. For both occasions, he play brilliantly. ‘I no go stop until I bring that trophy back home,’ na wetin he write after elimination for 2024/25 season.
For Catalan radio RAC1, dem even call am ‘Lamine Sami Yen’ to praise him performance against Galatasaray, one play on words with the name of Ali Sami Yen cauldron. Him two assists against Galatasaray carry him Champions League count to 13. Since him debut for the competition, he equal Raphinha for this stat and pass any other player.
Lamine dey surpass him own expectations for 2026/27 season. He don score 8 goals and give 9 assists, not to talk of him spectacular shows during the recent international break. From him frustration expression for Elche on first matchday, to the 2-0 win against Bilbao, where he no contribute directly to goals but show improvement, Lamine don contribute for every match with goal or assist.
For Istanbul, another emblematic place wey he go return to in February for Spanish Super Cup, Yamal leave him mark again. Just some weeks ago, he no hesitate to talk say: ‘Champions League na the objective this year.’ E clear say this no be ordinary season for the extraordinary number 10 of Barca.
One more day, one more heavy win and four more goals. Everything just more for FC Barcelona. An away trip wey always hard, one stadium wey dey make anxiety even from house, and one goal against when nobody expect am. Three ingredients wey suppose define European night to forget, abi? Well, no be so. Hansi Flick don make fans forget all those nightmares. Hansi Flick and the players dey show every day say hunger to win that sweet cup still intact.
Despite e receive two goals, one rebound and one offside, the goalkeeper from Sallent stay alert to Osimhen runs and stop several Turkish attack charges. Rafael Leao play as left winger. E important to mention am, because Eric take the considered advantage and remove am totally from game. Leao even dribble am two times. World turn upside down.
Dem solid as always. Dem no shrink with striker like Osimhen and dem contribute well to ball movement from back. How good e be. He return with striker soul to score equalizer and start Blaugrana comeback. Nobody pass am for defense.
These two need to dey same note so we no repeat ourselves. How person fit hide ball like that? Again and again dem no fear local pressure, dem hold ball to avoid just kicking am away. Dem always come out with their own. Pure class. He score second goal for Barca to complete comeback. He press like person wey craze and e become headache for Turkish defense.
He lost small at start of match, with ball losses wey look easy. Later he improve and get chance to score. With everything, e no be bad option for number 9 position. Even though he score third goal just before dem substitute am, he still miss some, and e for score more than one if no be bad decision-making. Still, he work hard to improve and him work pay off with goal.
Lamine for pre-match warm-up. The number 10 too small for am. Wetin be that match, that range of dribbles, passes, pressures, shots… and e continue like that all day. He invent things wey look humanly impossible to beat him rivals. Mario Lemina, Galatasaray midfielder, talk before match say he no know any Yamal. Well, now he don know am. He do wetin he always do. He come out with spectacular hunger and score the last goal to put icing on cake.
