Soccer always has that interesting way of showing us, talent finds a way, and with Lamine Yamal, it certainly does at Barcelona. Aged only 17 years, he's the same kid playing with a confidence that showed he does not fear anything, breaking records while sending fans haywire before playing leading roles in the chaos happening at this Catalan club.
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In the 1-0 victory over Alavés, there was Yamal, the protagonist of the match, displaying his technical repertoire as few players do in the world. Having tried 20 dribbles, the most anyone in the top five European leagues this season has managed, the differential factor came afterward: he successfully pulled off 11, which is the best in Europe after the 12 by Abdul Fatawu against Manchester United.
Barcelona have a diamond in their hands and all he needs is polishing. And the spookiest thing? He's just getting started.
Impressive figures and a list of giants to outdo him
This was the best dribbling display by a Barca player since 2017, where a certain Neymar Jr. tried 24 and completed 15 against Juventus in the Champions League final. Messi and Dembele eventually slipped into that elite list too but Lamine Yamal already puts himself there and he hasn't even reached his 18-year-old birthday as yet.
Similarly unflattering goal and assist contributions: At this stage of the campaign, the Yamal representative has already scored more than 10 direct goal contributions this season. For a 17-year-old playing at one of the most pressured clubs in the world, that isn't bad by any means.
Hansi Flick, who can consider himself a very lucky coach, doesn't hide his excitement when talking about the young prodigy: "And we got to see the best version of Lamine Yamal. It's so good to have him as a player.".
And to whoever is still having doubts as to what this kid is capable of doing, take a look at the numbers and his comportment on the field: Lamine Yamal has far beaten most predictions as to how early he can do his marking.
Barcelona is pretty far from going through peaceful days. During a season full of instability, pressure, and uncertainty about the future of the club, a breath of fresh air has emerged: Lamine Yamal.
The Catalans, with 45 points, are still chasing Real Madrid, who stumbled upon Espanyol. In the current race, Atlético de Madrid is also in good breath, with 48 points. But for Barcelona, any ambition of contending for the title depends directly on the feet of this youngster.