Lamine Yamal’s Goal-Scoring Awakening

Lamine Yamal returned to scoring form against Real Sociedad after over two months without a goal. The homegrown forward, honored as the match MVP, needed the goal to reaffirm his importance to the team and assist in the pursuit of securing the second spot, boosting the club’s economic gains and enhancing prospects for future titles.

Wearing the number 27 jersey for FC Barcelona, Yamal ranks as the team’s sixth-highest scorer with 7 goals across all competitions, trailing behind Lewandowski (24), Ferran (11), Joao Félix and Raphinha (10), and Fermín (8). In La Liga, he sits fifth with five goals, outstripped by Lewandowski (17), Ferran and Joao Félix (7), and Raphinha (6), tying with Fermín and Gündogan (5).

Yamal’s goal against Real Sociedad marked a significant milestone, as noted by Mister Chip’s ‘X’ account on Monday, making him the first player in La Liga history to score 5 goals before turning 17 (at 16 years and 305 days). A record-breaking display of precocity. It’s worth recalling that the young Barcelona talent made his debut on April 29, 2023, in a Barça-Betis (4-0) match at the age of 15 years and 290 days.

Notably, whenever Lamine Yamal has opened the scoring for FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernández’s team has secured two draws (both against Granada) and two victories (against Mallorca and Real Sociedad). Additionally, he ranks second in the number of appearances this season, featuring in 47 out of 50 matches, only surpassed by Gündogan (49). His absences include the Barça-Getafe (4-0) match on February 4 (rested, on the bench) and the first two Copa rounds (Barbastro and Unionistas) in early January, due to suspension (expulsion in January 2023 during a Barça-Málaga match in the youth cup).

Yamal’s meteoric rise to prominence underscores the accelerated path he’s undertaken, contrasting with Messi’s trajectory. While Messi, despite debuting in the 2004-05 season, didn’t surpass the 47 appearances Yamal has amassed until the 2008-09 season, albeit being managed cautiously and facing injury setbacks.