The woes of La Liga leaders Barcelona in fixtures without star winger Lamine Yamal continued on Saturday.
Barca of course marked their post-international break return to action late last night, making the trip to Balaídos for a meeting with Celta Vigo.
When all was said and done, the Blaugrana were forced to make do with a disappointing share of the spoils.
This came after Hansi Flick’s troops surrendered a two-goal advantage in the game’s dying moments, en route to an eventual 2-2 stalemate.
This marked just the third occasion on which Barca have dropped points this season.
And, on all three, the Catalans have taken to the pitch sans the services of attacking starlet Lamine Yamal.
Lamine is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, enough to rule him out of Saturday’s action at Balaídos, and potentially Tuesday’s upcoming meeting with Brest, too.
The 17-year-old has now missed out on a place in Hansi Flick’s starting XI three times in La Liga in 2024/25, against Osasuna, Real Sociedad, and Celta Vigo.
And, as alluded to above, these also happen to be the only fixtures in which Barcelona have failed to secure all three points.
A concerning statistic considering Lamine’s still tender years…
Conor Laird – GSFN
