Can Lamine Yamal leave his mark on El Clasico this weekend? He’s yet to defeat Barcelona’s storied rivals in one of football’s most iconic clashes.
Perhaps he’s the one to fear rather than Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius, like Messi and Ronaldinho before him. Yamal already has four goals and six assists in just 10 La Liga games for the Catalan giants this season.
The talented teen also has 82 take-ons this term, ten more than Ballon d’Or candidate Vini Junior. But on Sunday, the 17-year-old Spaniard will take on Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy at the Santiago Bernabéu. That is no easy matchup for anybody on the wing.
Lamine Yamal: Ready to leave his mark on El Clásico?
Messi’s heir apparent, a baptized Yamal, became the youngest player ever to play El Clasico when he debuted as a 16-year-old last season, breaking Vicente Martínez’s 121-year-old record.
“I have never been nervous in a game to be honest, but when I came on for my Clasico debut, there were some nerves,” Lamine told LaLiga World on Wednesday.
“I saw the faces of the opponents and realized how good they are. Just as I was stepping onto the pitch, there were some nerves, but once I started playing, everything faded away.
“I played and enjoyed the moment. You can see the quality of the game in matches like these. Ultimately, it all comes down to small details. Clásicos are always special. This is a Clásico that we all want to win,” he added ahead of Saturday’s El Clasico matchup.
Before Lamine’s remarkable rise at Barcelona, he even served as a mascot for El Clasico in the 2015/16 season. He held hands with Sergio Ramos.
Donning an exclusive Coldplay kit for Saturday’s game, the teenage sensation will be looking to rekindle that “Viva La Vida” magic by scoring his first El Clasico goal and getting his first win in the historical duel. The three points will put Barcelona six points ahead of Real Madrid.
