‘Almost-rabona’ — Yamal’s spontaneous assist for Gordon
Barcelona’s 4-1 Champions League win away to Galatasaray included a moment of improvisation from Lamine Yamal that helped put the result beyond reach. After the match, the winger explained that the move leading to Anthony Gordon’s goal was not a rehearsed trick: he had started an attempted rabona, adapted in the moment and found a way to make the action count.
Yamal discussed the play with Movistar Plus Deportes after the match, as reported by Marca and Sport. The sequence came in the second half, when he beat Eren Elmali before providing the assist for Barcelona’s third goal of the evening.
He described the move as an almost-rabona, saying it had come to him spontaneously and had worked out in the end by creating Gordon’s goal. Yamal also acknowledged that he had not yet watched the skill back after the match.
The label fits the unusual nature of the action: rather than completing a conventional rabona, Yamal adjusted his movement and turned the attempt into a deceptive way past Elmali. Its value was not only in the spectacle; it opened the route to a decisive pass in a match Barcelona went on to win 4-1.
That assist was one of two Yamal supplied after the interval. He had also set up Fermín López, with both contributions coming during a strong spell for the Catalans. The performance earned Yamal the player-of-the-match award, while Hansi Flick praised his influence and how he controlled the game in the second half.
Gordon’s goal also added another notable moment to his early Barcelona story. The English forward has been adapting to his role with the Blaugranes, and Yamal’s ability to find him in a crowded attacking sequence offered a clear example of how the pair can combine. Gordon’s role at Barcelona has been a developing part of the club’s forward picture.
For Yamal, however, the explanation was notably simple: the move happened in the moment, and its success mattered more than giving it a definitive name. His two assists in Istanbul made the second-half performance a decisive one, with the ‘almost rabona’ providing the standout image of Barcelona’s win.
