HOW FC BARCELONA MADE A NEW FOOTBALL MONSTER - LAMINE YAMAL.
Lamine Yamal has become the number 1 breakthrough of this season! His progress can be tracked from match to match and in this video, Vamosito channel will tell you how the talented winger has turned into a real monster during this campaign!
So subscribe to us and let's get started!
He is getting bigger
This is Lamine Yamal at the start of the season in a match against Cadiz. And this is Lamine Yamal in a recent match against Mallorca. The difference is obvious even to the naked eye. The way the Spaniard's body has changed in recent months has been one of the biggest reasons for his progress.
Although in reality, the changes in Yamal have been much greater than can be seen in the photo. The fact is that Lamine has gained 7 kg of muscle in six months. But that's not the only thing. Here we give the floor to journalist Fernando Polo, who closely follows the guy's progress.
Those 7 kilos of muscle mass are due to the physical growth he has experienced since the start of this season and also to the fact that thanks to a strength plan implemented by the club, he has reduced his body fat to a minimum and has put on a significant amount of muscle, - Fernando Polo says.
And according to Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, Yamal has grown by as much as 10 centimeters over the past year. So visually, while Lamine has become more powerful, muscles have also replaced fat in his body and spread over additional centimeters of height.
The winger really began to look stronger on the surface, but the changes inside his body were way more fundamental. Watching Lamine now and at the start of the season, you can see how much firmer he stands on his feet and how much better he can withstand physical tackles.
If earlier he used to beat opponents with pace, dribbling, and agility, now he has added smart work in clashes to his arsenal.
Even the goals Lamine scores show his physical progress. At the start of the season, his shots seemed weak, and the balls went in partly due to luck. But lately, his shots have become powerful, solid, and ruthless.
Like this video if you are impressed with Yamal's progress and believe that he is the future of Barcelona!
His numbers are amazing
Everything we've talked about earlier is reflected not only visually but also in the results. Let's take a look.
Before the new year, Lamine scored 1 goal and made 3 assists in 18 La Liga matches. Whereas after the new year, he has 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 matches. Fantastic progress!
This is how Lamine's radar chart looks like in terms of key offensive metrics. In short, the attacker is in the top 10% of wingers in the top 5 leagues in terms of expected assists from open play, big chances created, possession won in the final third, and take-ons completed.
As you can see, Yamal is a real beast when it comes to creating chances. In terms of goal-creating actions per 90 minutes this season, he is ahead of even such monsters as Jamal Musiala and Bukayo Saka.
According to Opta, there is currently no Spaniard in the top 5 leagues who has been directly involved in more shots following a ball carry this season in all competitions. Lamine has 45 such actions: 27 shots and 18 chances created. Wow!
Lamine Yamal is an incredible player. Playing for Barcelona at 16 is not for everybody. He is a special talent, but more than talent is needed in football. You need mentality, and, from what I see, Lamine has it. He’ll have a great future, - João Cancelo says about Yamal.
It's hard to disagree with him, given that everyone has become so used to the level shown by the young man that they have begun to forget that he is still 16 years old. Among all the wingers in La Liga this season, Lamine is second in passes to the penalty area, third in expected assists and interceptions, and fourth in through passes per 90 minutes.
Let's also keep in mind one of Yamal's main strengths. Against the background of other progressive indicators, you may think that the changes in terms of dribbling are insignificant, but we can argue.
Lamine's dribbling efficiency is impressive. For example, in a recent La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao, Yamal was the player with the most successful take-ons with 7. Yet he only spent 45 minutes on the pitch. Impressed? Well, we are!
Barca must cherish him
With such tremendous progress, every coach would be delighted and want to use the player to the maximum. However, this is also the biggest risk.
If you overuse a 16-year-old, he will definitely have health issues. And it will happen sooner rather than later. In the end, if Barcelona don't want Lamine to look like this at 17, then they need to learn from the mistakes of the past.
Ansu Fati, Pedri, Gavi - each of them is a super talent who was thrown into the senior meat grinder at the start of their careers, and now they all suffer from constant injuries and lack consistency.
13 мар 2024
