European football: Lamine Yamal injury overshadows Barcelona moving nine points clear | European club football

Barcelona moved closer to retaining their La Liga title with a 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo on Wednesday, but the win was overshadowed by an injury to Lamine Yamal, who scored the first-half spot kick that settled the match.

With six games remaining, Barcelona lead the standings on 82 points, nine clear of Real Madrid on 73. The result keeps the champions firmly in control of the title race, though concern now surrounds Lamine Yamal with a Clasico looming in two weeks and the World Cup less than 50 days away.

Barcelona went ahead in the 38th minute when Lamine Yamal burst in from the right and was brought down by Yoel Lago. The teenager dusted himself down and dispatched the resulting spot-kick with a fierce low strike to the goalkeeper’s left.

However, his celebrations were short-lived. The 18-year-old immediately fell to the turf, clutching what appeared to be his left hamstring. He limped off with the help of the team’s doctors, heading straight down the tunnel to be substituted.

“We just hope that Yamal’s injury is not significant,” the Barcelona midfielder Pedri told Movistar Plus. “We still don’t know and I imagine we will need to wait for the medical tests tomorrow but I’m optimistic because he is young and should get back soon. It was a very important win because we needed to keep nine points clear at the top. We managed against a very tough opponent and that was crucial.”

Atlético Madrid fell to a 3-2 defeat at lowly Elche, their seventh loss in their past eight matches across all competitions.

Diego Simeone’s side are comfortable in fourth in La Liga and the coach played mostly a reserve side to rest his star names after the draining cup final.

Nicolas González struck twice for the visitors but Elche prevailed with a brace from André Silva and a goal from David Affengruber, boosting their survival hopes. Atlético played an hour with 10 men after Thiago Almada was dismissed for pulling back Affengruber.

Treble-chasing Bayern Munich defeated hosts Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 with goals from Harry Kane and Luis Díaz to reach the German Cup final for the first time in six years.

The hosts were no match for the Bavarians, who were fresh from securing the league title on Sunday and in control for much of the game. The second semi-final sees Stuttgart take on Freiburg on Thursday.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain recovered from their Ligue 1 loss by Lyon with a 3-0 victory against relegation-threatened Nantes. PSG’s home win keeps them four points above Lens with both clubs having five games left to play.

Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 13th minute.

Desiré Doué’s brilliant goal doubled the lead on 37 minutes, when Achraf Hakimi played him through before he let fly with a fierce strike from a difficult angle inside the far corner.

Kvaratskhelia grabbed his second after the break, shimmying past two defenders and poking the ball past Anthony Lopes in the Nantes goal.

In Italy Lazio reached the Coppa Italia final after goalkeeper Edoardo Motta saved four penalties to secure a 2-1 shootout victory over Atalanta after a 1-1 draw in Bergamo on Wednesday left the tie level at 3-3 on aggregate.

Motta emerged as the hero in the shootout, saving all but one of the Atalanta attempts, with Kenneth Taylor and Gustav Isaksen finding the net for Lazio to send them through to the final.

The sides began on level terms following a 2-2 draw in Rome in early March, and that score remained the same until the 84th minute when Lazio snatched an 84th-minute lead through Alessio Romagnoli. Mario Pasalic netted a swift equaliser for Atalanta, and after extra time it needed a shootout to settle it.

Lazio will face Inter Milan in the final after they overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Como 3-2 at home on Tuesday. The final is scheduled to take place on 13 May.