Yamal scores first hat trick for Barcelona in win over Villarreal in La Liga

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal scored the first hat trick of his career in a 4-1 win over Villarreal that moved his team four points clear atop La Liga on Saturday.

At 18 years, 230 days, Yamal is the youngest player to score his first hat trick in La Liga, according to Opta.

His haul included a brilliant solo effort for his second goal, which saw him beat a player as he cut in from the right wing and curl a shot high into the far corner.

“He’s exceptional and he’s here to make people happy," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. "We need his goals to give him confidence. He’s very young and he still has to improve, but everyone knows the quality he has.

"Opponents put two or three players on him and that makes it difficult. Today I’m very happy for him. When he enjoys his football, it’s perfect for him and for us.”

Substitute Robert Lewandowski added Barcelona's fourth in stoppage time at Camp Nou.

Second-placed Real Madrid hosts Getafe on Monday with a chance to trim Barcelona's lead back to one point.

Also on Saturday, Julián Alvarez scored a late winner as Atletico Madrid won at Real Oviedo 1-0 and moved to third place, level on points with Villarreal.

Inaki Williams equalized for Athletic Bilbao in a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad defeated Mallorca 1-0.

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This story has been corrected in second paragraph to show Yamal is aged 18 not 17.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer