2024-04-04 11:15:33
We evaluate the rapid progress of the young Spaniard.
İdman.biz presents an article with a link to footballhd.ru.
Lamin Yamal quickly became the star of La Masia and Barcelona. At least that’s what everyone says, and many journalists and experts compare him with the legends of the Catalan club. Many young players burn brightly for short periods of time, spending weeks or months at best at a high level. But there is a feeling that this will not happen to Yamal. This is the Blaugrana’s talisman, who is already not only Barcelona’s best player, but also the great hope of all of Spain for many years to come. And this at 16 years old.
Yamal joined La Masia at the age of five, and by the time he was 13, he was already among the best players in matches involving the under-16 team. “Two years ago he played in the same team as my son,” recalled former Blaugrana striker Patrick Kluivert when asked about his first impressions of Lamin’s game. “Even then it was clear that he had quality.”
Youth team coach Oscar Lopez echoed his sentiments, saying in September 2022: “He always asks questions, he has a very good predisposition to develop. You need to treat it calmly and not rush.” By the time he was 15, Yamal was already training regularly with the Barcelona first team and attracted the attention of Xavi. Once the calendar turned to 2023, it seemed a matter of time before the young winger got the chance to prove himself at the highest level.
Ousmane Dembele slightly spoiled Yamal’s debut. Then the 15-year-old winger entered the field for the last 10 minutes of the match, in which Barcelona defeated Betis with a score of 4:0. Lamin immediately began to confidently deal with the opponent’s defense. He had a shot on goal that was saved and should have scored an assist after he flicked the ball behind the Betis defenders, but Dembele missed the chance.
By and large, this game did not have much significance for the Catalans, who at that time had practically guaranteed themselves the championship title. Yamal’s debut was a reward for the fact that he helped the team a lot in training, but did not appear on the field. However, for Lamin these few minutes were very important. Despite little playing time in the first match, what he did was enough to give Xavi something to think about. Although the Spaniard did not play again that season – there were 6 rounds left until the end of the season, and the coach had a sufficient choice of players on the right flank of the attack. The hype train began to leave the station.
Yamal played again for the Blaugrana first team in Catalonia on August 8, 2023. Lamin entered the field just as the team was playing poorly in a friendly match against Tottenham. In the 75th minute, Xavi released the young winger and the situation immediately changed. Yamal began to quickly pass his opponents and constantly strained the Spurs defense, which finally wavered. He helped Barcelona equalize with an easy goal for Ferran Torres and then played a role in setting up the third and fourth goals. If the final score looked impressive (4:2), it was because it was achieved by a fearless 16-year-old boy.
Despite the good performance, it was assumed that Barcelona would leave Yamal on the bench in the new season in order to use him as a reinforcement in the middle matches. At the same time, the Catalans had to protect the health of the young player. And maybe they should. Even now, despite all his talent, there remains great concern for the guy. But a twist of fate and Raphinha’s right elbow brought Lamin into the Blaugrana starting line-up. In the current campaign, Barcelona have big problems with injuries and this time Xavi did not have such a large choice of players.
With the start of the season, Yamal’s path to the base of the Catalan club began. Lamine was the Blaugrana’s biggest threat in a 2-0 win over Cadiz and the following week produced a man-of-the-match performance against Villarreal when he provided his first official assist. game. The Spaniard was praised by Xavi, followed by other former Barcelona players. “Lamin is one of the players for the next 10 years. He can become a very important player in the future,” said Javier Mascherano.
Yamal made his debut for the Spanish national team in September 2023 and already scored a goal in the first match, helping his team defeat Georgia with a score of 7:1. Lamin became the youngest debutant of the “red fury” in history. The winger scored his first goal in La Liga on October 8 in a match against Granada and became the youngest scorer in the tournament. On February 11, in a match against the same Granada, Yamal scored a double and saved Barcelona from defeat to a team from the relegation zone. He then scored the winner in the 72nd minute against Mallorca on 8 March, drawing even more comparisons to Lionel Messi.
In the 2023/24 season, Lamin played 40 matches in all competitions, scored 6 goals and provided 7 assists. His performance on the ball, successful attacks and creation of chances make Lamin one of the best in his position. According to FBRef, the Spaniard is not only good in attack. Yamal ranks 97th among all players in tackles, 93rd in interceptions and 98th in blocks. These are not bad numbers for many footballers, not to mention a teenager who is playing his first season in senior football for one of the most prestigious teams in Europe.
However, there are also some problems. Yamal looks exhausted at the end of many matches, which indicates a lot of workload on the young guy. He has played over 2,000 minutes for club and country this season and is likely to get some decent minutes at the Euros this summer too. Expectations are rising every day. The head coach of the Spanish national team, Luis de la Fuente, compared Lamin not only with Messi, but also with Diego Maradona. These are very serious comparisons that place a certain burden on young shoulders.
Perhaps this is for the best. Barcelona are going through a difficult season and need the right player to start a new era. It didn’t work with Ansu Fati, but maybe it will this time. Meanwhile, Spain needs a new Golden Boy – a classy attacking player who will be a boost to a team that relies on possession. Concerns about the risk of injury will never go away, and if Yamal continues to play this much, they could become reality. But this is a generational talent that is finding its way into the football world while already terrifying defenders both at home and on the continent. Based on materials from Goal
İdman.biz