Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring a goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Espanyol in Barcelona, Spain on Thursday- AP BARCELONA, Spain, May 16 (AP): Lamine Yamal provided the dazzle, Pedri set the pace and Raphinha scored the crucial goals as Barcelona won the La Liga title by playing its most electric soccer since the heyday of Lionel Messi.
While his players excelled in a campaign that also included a Copa del Rey title, Barcelona's success was in large part due to coach Hansi Flick.
The former Bayern Munich manager took the same core of a squad that won nothing the previous season under Xavi Hernández and turned it into the one of the most entertaining sides in Europe.
Flick's non-negotiable game plan of pressing high up the pitch to recover balls in attacking position was fervently executed by his players. The result was a domestic double and a memorable Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan that Barcelona was seconds away from winning.
Backed by Yamal's 53rd-minute goal, Barcelona clinched the title Thursday with a 2-0 victory over Espanyol.
"Flick has a large part of this title," Pedri said after the decider at Espanyol. "He completely changed the team, and this season is one to be remembered."
Yamal confirmed his status as the rising star of international soccer just weeks before the club season began when he stole the show in Spain's European Championship victory.
He carried his fantastic play into Barcelona's season, and over the course of the campaign his weight in the attack increased, as did his role as a vocal motivator.
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