The double face of Lamine Yamal's flourishes

BarcelonaLamine Yamal's first move in the Sevilla-Barça game on Sunday It was a shot to take your hat off to. A volley in the area, with the inside of his left foot, which the goalkeeper saved with a magnificent stretch. It could have been the first goal of the match and one of the goals of the day. It was not the only attempt. He also made a solo excursion in the first half and ended up finishing over the crossbar. But unlike the first action, when everyone put their hands on their heads lamenting that the ball had not ended up in a goal, in this second some teammates reproached him for making the adventure alone instead of trying to link up. In total he shot four times but did not score. He was substituted in the 89th minute and went to the bench with a disapproving gesture, cursing not having scored a goal.

Precisely, Lamine Yamal's obsession with scoring is one of the things that worries the Barça sports area. "The context is complicated, because he receives a lot of praise every day. He is very young, has great potential and a great desire to show everything he can do, but we must take care of him," say those at the highest levels of the club. This season, the player from Rocafonda has scored 11 goals. Five in the League – where he has not scored since the 0-4 at the Bernabéu at the end of October –, two in the Cup, two in the Super Cup and two in the Champions League. A great record for someone aged 17 who plays as a winger. Although the figures may not be enough in his eyes.

Lamine Yamal: one goal for every ten shots on goal

It's not for lack of trying. According to Fotmob statistics, Lamine Yamal has had 104 shots on goal this season, 40 of them on target. But only eleven have been goals (11% of total shots, 28% of well-aimed shots). One goal for every ten attempts.

The shooting figures are similar to those of Lewandowski (97) and Raphinha (109), although both the Pole and the Brazilian have a much higher efficiency rate. Lewandowski's 46 shots were well-aimed and 31 were goals, an extraordinary 67% (32% of total shots). Raphinha has directed 43 shots on goal and 22 have ended up in the back of the net (51%, 20% of total shots). Yamal's problem is one of efficiency, which stems mainly from the fact that he takes more decent shots than his teammates, who, if they do finish, have much clearer chances of scoring. This situation has earned him some booing from Lewandowski, on and off the pitch. According to reports in the dressing room, they have had a fight in training.

Comparisons are odious and Lamine Yamal has been seen by many sectors as the natural replacement for Leo Messi. Because of his precocious talent, having been trained at La Masia and because of footballing qualities that surpass the average. But as they say in Sant Joan Despí, "to be Messi's shadow you have to eat a lot of soup." But he admits that he has reflected himself in Neymar, from whom he has inherited the more playful and recreational vision of football. The reproach that is made to him by some sectors of the club is that sometimes he prioritizes the filigree in the association. It also happened in Sevilla, with 1-3 and playing with inferiority, when he gave a backheel pass in the middle of the field that led to a loss and a counterattack for the Andalusian team.

"Lamine Yamal is obsessed with the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or"

"He is obsessed with two things: winning the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or," they say in the dressing room, where they try to supervise Lamine Yamal's progress outside the walls of the Ciudad Deportiva. They say that there has been some conflict with his entourage because they demanded even more minutes and stripes for the young player. The club remains inflexible. A task that Xavi Hernández began to do in his day and that Hansi Flick continues now. Managing his minutes and regularly substituting him despite his grimacing. When this happens, the German coach prefers to take it philosophically and combine a slap with his right and a caress with his left. After the change there is always some gesture of consolation. The most severe corrections, when they are needed, are made behind closed doors.