How Barcelona won La Liga: Yamal channels that No. 10 magic and Flick fills the gaps

Since his debut at age 15, Yamal has delivered performance after brilliant performance to earn the privilege of being considered Barcelona’s heir apparent to the one-and-only Messi. Yamal leads Barcelona in scoring (jointly with Ferran Torres on 16 goals) and a competition-leading 11 assists in La Liga, despite missing some games with injury. He also leads the league in dribbles with 133. That increased output helped make up for the absence of Raphinha during two injury layoffs for the Brazil forward and the diminished role of veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, who at age 37 lost his first-choice status. Beyond the numbers, his creativity with the ball and the fancy footwork, Yamal provided his contagious competitive attitude that never faded.

Pedri and Fermín dictate the pace

Barcelona again had the top midfield and used it to crush the competition. It was leading the 20-team division both in scoring and defense with 91 goals scored and 31 conceded. Pedri González is only 23 but is playing like a veteran, setting the pace and delivering the key pass forward in the style of former Barcelona and Spain star Xavi Hernández. Fermín López was targeted by Chelsea in last summer’s transfer window, but the 22-year-old stayed put and emerged as a key player for Flick. Fermín scored 13 goals and made nine assists.

Flick fills the gaps

Flick figured out how to make up for the loss of his most physical defender after Íñigo Martínez left for the Saudi Arabian league in the offseason. Few would have imagined that Gerard Martín, a young left back who had struggled at times in the previous campaign, would end up flourishing as a central defender alongside Pau Cubarsí, who at age 19 delivered another superb season anchoring the backline. Flick also found ways to endure a spate of muscle injuries that sidelined Yamal, Raphinha, Jules Koundé, Frenkie de Jong and other key players for several weeks at a time. The arrival of 'keeper Joan García shored up the goal, while the club overall got a boost by returning to partially refurbished Camp Nou after two years playing at a smaller stadium

Group effort in attack

With Flick often using Lewandowski as a substitute, the attack became a more collective effort. Striker Ferran Torres used his greater mobility to link up well with Yamal and company and has scored 16 league goals, three more than Lewandowski. Marcus Rashford has contributed with eight goals — including the one on Sunday — and several assists as he adapts well to Barcelona while on loan from Manchester United. That said, the club is reportedly looking to sign a striker this summer, putting the immediate future of both Lewandowski and Rashford in doubt. \\\_ AP soccer: