Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal has become a regular starter at the club at only 16 years old. Tonight, in the Champions League, he recorded his first assist, becoming the youngest assist provider in the Champions League knock-out stage.
Is he Barcelona’s next chosen one? After all, he met Lionel Messi (allegedly) as a baby and signed for the Catalan giants as a six-year-old. He joined La Masia at 16 before getting an instant promotion to the first team. The right winger has notched four goals and six assists this season, none cooler than tonight.
In the first half, Yamal, in Messi-esque fashion, effortlessly dribbles past PSG’s Mendes down the right wing. After dashing inside, he finds Raphina for the poke-in—the Brazilian’s third of the tie.
However, the magical assist was quickly forgotten as Barcelona fell to 10 men. And Yamal, as one fan put it, became “the sacrificial lamb” substitute for the more defensive Inigo Martinez. All of a sudden, the creativity seemed to have been sucked out of Xavi‘s men.
PSG’s Mbappe scored a brace to end Barcelona’s Champions League run, leaving Yamal heartbroken at the final whistle. Heads up, kid.
Photo: x/we_love_messi
