The teenager had a hand in three late goals as Xavi's side came from behind to win 4-2 after a dismal first-half display against Spurs

Barcelona pieced together a markedly poor 60 minutes against a makeshift Tottenham side, before the introduction of 16-year-old Lamine Yamal turned things around in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Tuesday. The youngster assisted one, and was vital in the build up for two more, as the Blaugrana ran out 4-2 winners.

Spurs arrived in Catalunya without some of their main attacking options, with Son Heung-Min benched and Harry Kane not even in the matchday squad. However, they dominated for long spells, and probably could have won this one with some more clinical finishing.

Things started well for the home side, though. With Ousmane Dembele almost certain to leave the club, Raphinha was charged with filling the vacant spot on Barca's right wing, and the Brazilian created the home side's opener, his angled pass perfectly meeting Robert Lewandowski's left foot for an early 1-0 lead.

But Barca swiftly lost control. A Kane-less Spurs created chance after chance throughout the remainder of the first half, with Oliver Skipp the unlikely beneficiary. He grabbed his first on 24 minutes after ghosting in at the far post to turn home a rebound. His second was more impressive, a well-timed run and fine header to give Spurs a much-deserved 2-1 lead which they held until nine minutes from full-time.

Yamal's introduction changed things. The teenager led Barca to victory with a wonderful 15 minute cameo, teasing Sergio Reguilon on the right-wing and giving Barca the dynamism and thrust they have lacked there for some time.

The 16-year-old assisted the equaliser, feeding Ferran Torres from close range. And he started the move for the third and fourth, with two other La Masia products — Ansu Fati and Ez Abde — grabbing stoppage-time goals. And so while there were plenty of concerns for Barca, this game will now be remembered for the arrival of the academy's latest wonderkid.

GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at Barca's new temporary home, the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium…

Getty ImagesYamal is ready for the big time

'The new Lionel Messi'. Again. To play right wing at Barcelona is a curse of sorts. The Messi comparisons are inevitable, and Yamal was slapped with that tag well over a year ago. He made his debut last season, and looked dangerous in brief instances on the pitch.

This might just have been the game he pushed for regular inclusion, though. Barcelona were out of ideas when the winger came onto the pitch. They lacked dynamism and quality in the final third, and needed an injection of pace and trickery. And that's exactly what Yamal brought to the side.

The 16-year-old twisted and turned his way around Reguilon for 15 minutes, having a direct hand in all three second-half goals. Yes, he was playing against some tired legs, but he still looked frightening while operating against a player 10 years his senior.

There is a dangerous tendency for overreaction here, especially given the Barcelona badge and lineage at the position. For now, call it an encouraging start to what Barca fans will hope is a long career.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBarca don't need Neymar or a Dembele replacement

Is the latest iteration of the Neymar to Barcelona rumour to be taken seriously? That's unclear, but the interest is certainly there from the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who, not unreasonably, wants out of Parcs des Princes. This would be an expensive and messy investment for the Blaugrana, the kind of deal that would mean tearing up their transfer strategy for an aging, erratic player.

Barca might not need him, anyway. And they certainly don't when Raphinha is playing like he did on Tuesday. The winger set up Barcelona's first with a wonderful curled ball into Lewandowski, and looked dangerous all night. His pace and trickery was, at times, too much for a makeshift Spurs defence, while his diligence off the ball was also valuable.

Ansu Fati did his bit, too. The forward enjoyed a turn in form after Christmas, last year, and looked far more of a threat in the New Year. He only built on that here, operating through the middle and bagging the winner for the Blaugrana. Fati might not be in for a start every week — Raphinha probably did enough to justify consistent inclusion — but he certainly showed his value.

Given Yamal's performance, Ferran Torres' goals in pre-season and Vitor Roque's arrival to come in January, Xavi doesn't seem short of forward options, even with Ousmane Dembele on his to PSG. Signing a replacement such as Neymar, then, wouldn't be a wise move.

Getty ImagesSpurs don't need Kane when they have… Skipp?!

The Harry Kane transfer saga has been dragged out at this point. Bayern Munich clearly want him, while Spurs are predictably reluctant to sell. Club chairman Daniel Levy has always been a stickler in the market, and hasn't ditched his principles for the club's most valuable asset.

Kane looks more likely to stay in north London with every day that passes. Still, he wasn't in the squad on Tuesday, with Tottenham presumably looking to avoid injury so close to their Premier League opener against Brentford.

Richarlison started up front in his stead, but it was holding midfielder Skipp who grabbed the headlines. Largely a forgotten man last year, Skipp has been given a fair look this pre-season. And while he is not a regular goalscoring threat — and likely won't ever be — his double was valuable, if only to momentarily take Tottenham's minds away from the other homegrown player who has been making the headlines of late.

Getty ImagesNo place for Gundogan in Barca's diamond

Xavi hasn't flexed his modified 4-4-2 this pre-season, instead opting to play something of a more traditional 4-3-3. That changed on Tuesday, though, with the manager reverting back to the system that helped Barca lock up the La Liga title in the first few months of 2023.

And it certainly had its moments. Alejandro Balde pushed up on the left, Pedri pulled the strings centrally, and Raphinha offered support to Lewandowski. But Oriol Romeu, a very much imperfect replacement for Sergio Busquets, looked uncertain — and lost his man in the build up for Tottenham's first. Gavi, meanwhile, picked up a rash booking within the first 15 minutes, and was lucky to avoid a sending off.

Notably, though, there was no place for Ilkay Gundogan. The German was presumably brought in as a sure-fire starter for Barca. However, he doesn't seem the right type of player to fit any of the midfield roles in the system. He can, and undoubtedly will, learn how to secure one of the starting spots here, and he did enjoy 30 effective minutes off the bench. Still, he might have to fight for his place in Xavi's side.