A double by Barcelona’s teenage winger Lamine Yamal helped his side salvage a 3-3 draw at home to relegation-threatened Granada on Sunday in a rollercoaster LaLiga match.
Xavi Hernandez’s side are third in the standings on 51 points, five behind second-placed Girona, who were thrashed on Saturday by Real Madrid, leaders with 61 points.
“We lost two points and a good opportunity to cut the deficit. Granada played an intelligent game, they pushed us hard,” Xavi told a press conference.
“The league was difficult and now it’s two points more difficult. It’s a big difference but we’re not going to give up.
“We had plenty of chances to seal the game. The team had faith, courage and desire, but it wasn’t enough. It makes it even more difficult for us.”
Yamal put the hosts ahead after 14 minutes with a tap-in into an empty net after Joao Cancelo’s cross found him at the far post. Granada equalised two minutes before halftime thanks to Ricard Sanchez’s powerful volley into the top corner.
The visitors grabbed the lead in the 60th minute with an easy finish by Facundo Pellistri before Robert Lewandowski made it 2-2 as he scored from Ilkay Gundogan’s pass three minutes later.
Ignasi Miquel restored Granada’s lead with a towering header in the 66th minute, but Yamal levelled again with a long-range strike for his second of the night ten minutes from time.
“It’s another missed opportunity but we have to keep working. Right now I’m thinking more about the draw and the fact that we’re losing two points than about my performance,” 16-year-old Yamal told Movistar.
“We’ve been conceding these goals so quickly throughout the season. That’s what we urgently need to improve. There’s still league left, we’ll keep trying.”
