Lamine Yamal… Barcelona Fans’ Favorite Star On and Off the Field
Sudan Events – Agencies
We’ve praised Lamine Yamal’s skills a lot over the past month, but it was his brilliance that led Barcelona to a spectacular 4-1 away win over Girona on Sunday. The pivotal moment came in the 30th minute when Yamal surged towards Girona’s defender, David López, as he tried to build an attack from the back. After intercepting the ball, Yamal raced towards the goal, with only the goalkeeper left to beat. The match was still goalless, and Robert Lewandowski was waiting for an easy tap-in beside him. What Yamal did next can be seen as another development in his profile.
He is no longer just the latest young star to emerge from Barcelona’s famous academy, “La Masia.” Now, he’s their favorite star on and off the field, a 17-year-old who naturally ignored the veteran striker beside him in that moment because he deserved to take the shot himself. His confident strike paved the way for an exciting victory – against a Catalan opponent who humiliated them twice last season. Yamal was the star of the show once again. He scored the second goal seven minutes later, with a chipped shot from the edge of the box. We were all impressed by Yamal’s brilliant performance as Spain won the European Championship this summer, and this season has seen him shine early. He has been involved in seven goals (scoring three and assisting four) in Barcelona’s five La Liga matches. In Europe’s top five leagues, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has better numbers, with nine goals in four matches. Yamal isn’t just a passing trend; there is now a consistent output in his play – and hard work as well. Barcelona has the highest number of ball recoveries in the final third in La Liga so far this season, with 30, and Yamal has contributed eight of those – more than any other player in the competition. We still witness his skill and trickery, but now he’s also making a difference with his off-ball actions, such as pressing for the opening goal here. He made Barcelona coach Hansi Flick jump in the air.
Flick said in his post-match press conference, “Lamine usually makes the final pass, and I’m very happy with that, of course, but today I was particularly pleased to see him take the chances and score.” There were many reasons for the German coach to smile on Sunday evening; he and his team passed what could be considered their biggest test together since he took charge in the summer – the Catalan derby that was shocking for fans last season when Girona scored eight goals in two 4-2 victories, decisive in determining the future of his predecessor, Xavi. Girona’s coach, Michel, said, “It’s clear that Barcelona was the better team.” He added, “We couldn’t find a way out of their high press as they closed the wings inward and attacked our center-backs.” Yamal made the difference, but if there was someone else deserving special mention, it was his teammate Pedri.
The 21-year-old is having his best spell in three years (some might even say it’s his best form at Barça, period). The way he has led every midfield he’s been part of this season has been remarkable. Against Girona, he scored to make it 4-0 just after an hour but also recovered the ball 11 times. Over the previous two seasons, his average ball recoveries were just under four per game. Physically, he looks fantastic. After missing over 80 matches across the last three seasons due to a variety of injuries, Pedri has played in every game so far this season, thanks to a special training program focused on strength to prevent further muscle injuries. He dribbled past goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga to score his goal and then ran to the sideline to hug Flick. The Barça coach said, “Pedri told me he would score just before the match, which is why I think he came over to me.”
Then there’s Marc Casado, another La Masia product who didn’t get a good chance under Xavi last season but has now become an ideal solution in midfield. The 21-year-old doesn’t complicate football too much; he plays a simple game. But he plays it well and contributes offensively when the team needs it. The 4-2 defeat at Montilivi Stadium in Girona at the end of last season convinced club president Joan Laporta to reconsider Xavi’s position, and he was eventually dismissed. Four months later, at the same venue, Flick sealed the result against the local rival while showing the strongest signs yet that this is a renewed Barcelona – despite the team having made only one significant addition last summer, Dani Olmo.
