Lamine Yamal described Barcelona’s direct qualification for the Champions League last 16 as a huge relief, after scoring in a 4-1 comeback win over Copenhagen at Camp Nou, a result that lifted Barcelona to
fifth in the new 36-team league format and removed the need for February play-offs.
Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford all struck in a dominant second half, overturning Viktor Dadason’s fourth-minute opener. The turnaround gave Hansi Flick’s side a fourth Champions League victory of the campaign and confirmed Barcelona’s place among the top eight seeds for the knockout phase.
For Yamal, avoiding the extra two-legged play-off is almost as important as the result itself, with Barcelona facing a heavy domestic schedule as the LaLiga title race continues. Yamal said the break from midweek European fixtures will help the squad stay "very calm" as preparation for key league games improves.
Speaking after the match, Yamal said: "We all came here tonight thinking about getting into the top eight. We're very happy with the victory. When you concede a goal in the Champions League it's very difficult to come back, but the team was very strong, and we managed to come back. In the Champions League I'm freer, though I'm still one against two. I'm getting used to it, it is what it is. When I can give the team an advantage, I'm also happy. With the games we have, having two games fewer leaves you very calm. "
Yamal both scored and created a goal in a Champions League game for the third time. No teenager has done that more often, with only Kylian Mbappe matching that total of three such performances. Yamal’s assist also pushed another record in his favour at continental level.
Yamal now has eight Champions League assists, the highest total recorded by any teenager in the competition. Mbappe previously held the outright lead with seven. Those numbers underline the influence Yamal already holds in Barcelona’s attack, despite still being at the start of a senior career.
Barcelona’s ability to respond to setbacks has also defined this European run. Flick’s team have now been behind at half-time in four of their last five Champions League fixtures, compared with only three occasions during the first 17 matches under Flick in the tournament, yet the points return remains strong.
Across the current Champions League edition, Barcelona have gained more points from losing positions than any other club. Ten of Barcelona’s 16 points have arrived after falling behind, reflecting both tactical adjustments from Flick and key interventions from players such as Lewandowski and Yamal in second halves.
| Barcelona Champions League statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total league-stage points | 16 |
| Points from losing positions | 10 |
| League-stage position | 5th of 36 |
| Teenage games with goal and assist (Yamal) | 3 |
| Teenage Champions League assists (Yamal) | 8 |
Lewandowski delivered one of the key goals in the fightback and supported Yamal’s view that a lighter calendar will help Barcelona. The forward stressed how much strain frequent European away trips can place on recovery, especially when LaLiga matches follow within two days of returning.
Lewandowski echoed Yamal's thoughts, saying: "We are very happy, we have won an important game, and we are among the top eight. The most important thing is that we scored four goals and now we can look forward. We've had a lot of games and it will be good to have two clean weeks. We have to prepare for LaLiga. Sometimes you're playing away in the Champions League, and you come back very late with only two days between games. It's good to be able to rest. What we did today was perfect. Sometimes you need patience in football. I wanted to start at a very high level, but I needed time to find my rhythm. I'm very happy to score. The most important thing, though, is that we won as a team. "
3 - Barcelona's Lamine Yamal 🇪🇸 has scored and assisted in a @ChampionsLeague game for the third time in his career; the joint-most by a teenager in the competition, along with Kylian Mbapp (3 times for Paris SG). Phenomenon.@FCBarcelona #Barcelona #ChampionsLeague2026 pic.twitter.com/YaXnELOjLTOptaJose (@OptaJose) January 28, 2026
The 4-1 win over Copenhagen, secured by a powerful second-half surge featuring four different scorers, confirmed Barcelona’s Champions League seeding, highlighted Lamine Yamal’s growing statistical impact, and granted Hansi Flick’s squad a valuable pause in European duties as focus shifts back to maintaining domestic momentum in LaLiga.
