Hans-Dieter Flick, Barcelona coach, praised ace Lamine Yamal (19, Barcelona).
Barcelona secured its lead in La Liga with a 3-1 win at Elche on the 1st (KST). Barcelona, with 18 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses, remained atop the table. They are four points ahead of second-place Real Madrid (16 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses, 51 points).
The match was one-sided. At the center was Yamal. In the 6th minute of the first half, Yamal easily beat opposing goalkeeper Iñaki Peña and opened the scoring.
The goal was just the beginning. That day Yamal created as many as eight clear chances. One of them led to Marcus Rashford's insurance goal. Yamal is no longer simply a prospect but already a key figure directing the team's attack.
Yamal, who scored his ninth league goal of the season, has already matched last season's total. It explains fully why Barcelona is being reorganized as a "Yamal-centered team."
After the match, Flick said at a news conference, "Yamal is still young. He can grow more and reach another level," and said he saw a future Messi in Yamal.
Yamal's development pace is faster than that of "the god of football" Messi. Messi debuted for Barcelona's first team at 17 in 2005. In the 2005-06 season at age 18, Messi scored six goals in 17 matches. Messi's technique was already near perfect, but he was not yet the figure who led the team. Barcelona protected Messi and nurtured him gradually.
By contrast, Yamal is already serving as Barcelona's ace at the same age. Of course, Yamal has not yet reached Messi's level, but it is true that his future is promising.
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