You wonder what crossed the spirit of the left back of Alaves, Manu Sanchez, three minutes after the match against Barcelona in Montjuic yesterday.
Lamine Yamal, the player who was assigned to Mark for the next 87 minutes of his life, had dribbled before him And Four other teammates in almost his first involvement of the match.
Sanchez would have been forgiven to think that he could be in a long afternoon.
In a way, the Alaves can be satisfied with how they contained Barcelona overall. The Catalans obtained a disjointed 1-0 victory At home against a relegation that fights in an essential match, after Real Madrid lost through the city against Espanyol the previous night. The Hansi Flick team is now four points behind their main rivals at the top of the Liga, and the 2024-25 reigning race feels more alive than ever when we enter in February.
A list of packaged matches on the side of Madrid, including a match match on the Champions League against Manchester City on February 11 and 19, could also do Barça, which takes place directly until March 16, a favor.
But weeks and perhaps months will spend, and Yamal’s first solo solo race will persist in the minds of those who were present.
It is not new to see the fans on the edge of their seats each time Yamal obtains football, but the sequence that started at 3:45 am on the clock and finished 14 seconds later, most of the 42,900s attended Montjuic roaring in excitement, stronger, stronger and stronger while he slipped by the opponent after the opponent.
Lamine Yamal. 🤩 #Laligahights | @FcBarcelona pic.twitter.com/dnkzsow4kt
– Laliga English (@laligaen) February 2, 2025
It is sometimes easy to forget that Lamine Yamal is only 17 years old.
Let’s go back to the very beginning of this extraordinary decision.
Yamal took possession on the right side, his comfort zone, but in half of Barcelona of the land. Sanchez pressed him right away, but the adolescent changed the ball in the direction he came, mistreating his initial opponent immediately.
After having disarmed Sanchez with a shoulder feint and a dribbling on his left foot, the Tour-Aeri-Adilier of Alaves, Tomas Conecechny, was waiting to double the Spanish international prodigy.
The 17 -year -old protected the ball, then broke out in front of the two players and cut inside a central area.
Sanchez admitted his defeat at this stage and returned to his role as a left back, but Conecechny chose to persevere, after Yamal and trying to grasp his arm.
No more backup was necessary.
The midfielder Jon Gudidi has now tried to reach Yamal, but the latter was already working in different equipment.
Antonio Blanco, one of the visitors’ fields, tried to enter Yamal, but a quick blow of his left foot meant that this tackle was useless. Yamal continued to move forward.
Now Conecechny was back for the second round, this time trying to make a ruthless sliding tackle. In a part of his peripheral vision, the Barça winger saw him coming and quickly changed his ball towards the right foot – sending Conecechny for the tapas.
Those of the Montjuic stands loved every second, never wanted the race to end.
Guridi and Blanco have now tried to remove Yamal but have failed again.
The other midfielder from Alaves, Ander Guevara, was now standing on the way to Yamal and believed her luck, but with so many players now piled up around him, Yamal has chosen to find his teammate Raphinha in many space On the left side.
With a Trivela pass.
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(Alex Caparros / Getty Images)
Raphinha took a shot to the goal, although little in the stadium really cared. Fans were still roaring for Yamal, making the kind of comparisons in their heads with the big big ones of Barcelona who naturally tend to try to minimize, for fear of igniting media threshing. But Yamal is not an ordinary talent.
“Lamimine is already one of the best players in the world, to be honest,” said Alaves Sanchez’s great-back in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo. And it was before yesterday’s match.
On a similar note, here is the departure goal of Barcelona, Wojciech Szczesny, in an interview with Italian Media Outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport Last week.
“For me, these are the two biggest talents I have seen in my life, (Kenan) Yildiz (at the previous Szczesny club) and Yamal. They are very different because the lamine, technically, is absurd. Yildiz is stronger physically. He is already physically ready. But technically, the Lamine is … it’s so impressive. It is therefore really difficult to make a comparison, but these are two extraordinary talents and, in my opinion, they will both do great things. “”
Yamal’s performance exceeded his breathtaking race on Sunday. According to OPTA, he tried 20 dribbles and succeeded with 11 of them, and equaled the most by a Barcelona footballer in a single match since the 2005-06 season at least.
Guess to whom he equaled the record …
Yes, it was Lionel Messi, in 2006-2007 against Mallorca. He tried 20 dribbles that day, filling 10.
Yamal was also involved in order against Alaves, which was scored by Robert Lewandowski when he hit a poultry shot by the teenager. The Liga did not consider it as an aid, because Yamal’s attempt diverted the defender of Alaves Nahuel Tenaglia before reaching Lewandowski. Nevermind. He still leads the League for this metric this season with 11 in 19 games.
Its progress has been superb since it entered the first team of Barcelona last season, and those around the club feel blessed to have such talent in their hands.
Basically, however, there is a silent debate on the best way to manage Yamal. If, at the age of 17, it is already so fundamental for the global project of the club, that then happens for him? What is the best way to ensure that its development remains on the right track, or to be sure that the mind of the adolescent can stay in the right place?
Last week, Flick was undergoing Yamal in the dying minutes of his last match in the League phase in the Champions League, against Atalanta. The teenager was visibly frustrated by substitution, because he had fun after scoring a goal.
While heading for the bench, Flick stopped him and had a friendly conversation to try to smooth things out. Yamal was then appointed man of the match, and therefore had some media homework to cross. Initially, he did not feel in a mood to go talk to the broadcasters, but finally accepted after a conversation with the club press officers.
(Pedro Salado / Getty Images)
It has been more described as a heat situation rather than everything that has a deeper meaning of those of the locker room, but somehow reflects the way Flick wants to protect Yamal from the public eye and an excessive examination during press conferences.
Just after the victory yesterday, he was asked about Yamal’s display and if it reminded other major clubs such as Messi and Diego Maradona.
“I’m not a fan of comparisons and all that,” said Flick. “Lamine is a genius. I have already said that in the past. What he did today in certain situations was incredible. I’m so happy that he is a Barça player and I want him to do it this week after week.
“Again, he was only 17 years old.”
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(Top Photo: Josep Lago / AFP via Getty Images)