📊 Borja Iglesias makes history with hat-trick in chaotic Barcelona clash
It has been quite the afternoon for Celta Vigo forward Borja Iglesias!Despite falling behind to Barcelona in the opening 12 minutes of their La Liga clash, Iglesias put his side back on level terms a few minutes later.
He then scored a further two in the second half to complete a hat-trick and put Celta Vigo 3-1 up against the league leaders.
For his second, he capitalised on a mistake from Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong before finishing a swift counter-attack with a run from his own half to score the third.
In doing so, he became just the second away player to score three against Barcelona in the league in the 21st century.
2 - @RCCeltaEN striker @BorjaIglesias9 🇪🇸 is the 2nd away player to score a hat-trick against Barcelona in @LaLigaEn in the 21st century after Diego Forlan in May 2005. Panda. pic.twitter.com/g6tZb4dk9B
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 19, 2025
Amazingly, it made it two games in a row in which Barça have conceded three to the same player, following on from the loss to Borussia Dortmund.
Barcelona have conceded two hat-tricks from Serhou Guirassy and Borja Iglesias just four days apart 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rfb7qwP2nP
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) April 19, 2025
His heroics could be in vain, though, as the hosts mounted a swift comeback of their own, with substitutes Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal scoring in quick succession to level things up once again.
📸 Alex Caparros - 2025 Getty Images
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'Getting a top PSA 10 grade is so difficult, it's like finding the holy grail. Last year I purchased around 150 fresh from the pack and only 66 I deemed good enough to be submitted to PSA. Just 12 came back a PSA 10'. In simple terms, the card is largely printed with defects, which make it tough to achieve the best possible grade. Currently one in five cards sent to PSA are awarded the top Gem Mint 10 rating, with a total population as of writing sitting at 198. 'People are now submitting hundreds of them aiming for a 10,' Tomás said. This card condition concern hasn't stopped people from buying boxes of 2023 Megacracks La Liga, which now resell for upwards of $800 after an initial recommended retail price of $28. The gem rate (percentage of cards that earn a top grade) is the lowest for any of the early Yamal rookie cards, which points to one reason why this card has grown exponentially in price. 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Now Yamal's accolades match the early promise he showed when running onto the Camp Nou pitch aged just 15, the prices look to be adjusting in line with levels for stars across sports. It's not just this card that's taken off; in March his one-of-one autographed superfractor sold for $136,000 via Goldin. His 1/1s have collectively amassed over $500,000 in sales. As the $10,000 sale remains uncertain, what next for the #108BIS? Yamal is the bookmakers' second favorite behind Ousmane Dembele to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or, but his performance against France in the Nations League semi-finals on Thursday will only boost his odds. Next is a date in the final on Sunday against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. 'I guess that at some point this summer (Yamal's card market) will calm down and settle, but with France vs. Spain it very well could continue to rise. I don't think it will drop dramatically with the Ballon d'Or awards in September and then the World Cup next year. I'm getting so many inquiries from collectors in America asking if this one (#108BIS) is a good investment and I think it's a one-of-a-kind card to own,' said Tomás. Buyers should do their due diligence when seeking a rare Yamal rookie card. Last week an auction for a Champions League rookie card limited to just 25 in existence ended with a sold price of $12,119. Five days later the exact card was relisted for auction after going unpaid. Anyone bidding now could be led to believe that type of card is worth 12 grand without reviewing the serial number. Circles of collectors who own high-value cards of specific players have been accused of pumping prices over the years, creating a false economy where potential new owners could be burdened with a market price that's unsustainable and destined to make a loss. But even with an influx of Yamal #108BIS cards in the PSA grading queue, at its current 20% gem rate, there would need to be over 5,000 submitted to reach the high populations of the first two Yamal rookies, so this Megacracks BIS card may well hold strong long term as long as Yamal continues to deliver on the pitch. If a select few have cornered the #108BIS market, however, then maybe the Master Rookie is a safer buy after all. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
