Girona coach Míchel has stated Lamine Yamal can attain Lionel Messi‘s stage after watching the Barcelona winger take his aspect aside in Sunday’s Catalan derby at Montilivi.
Yamal, 17, scored twice as Barça gained 4-1 to make it 5 wins from 5 in LaLiga this season, with Dani Olmo and Pedri additionally heading in the right direction earlier than Cristhian Stuani netted a late comfort for Girona.
“Lamine is a difference-maker,” Míchel stated in a information convention. “For me, he’s already among the best gamers on this planet at 17 years of age.
“It’s tough to think about that after Messi one other [like him] would come alongside, however I hope that Lamine retains enhancing as a result of he is a participant than can attain that stage.”
Yamal scored twice in seven first half minutes to successfully kill sport earlier than the break, robbing David López to open the scoring on the half hour mark earlier than including his second with a well-taken end from the sting of the field.
The Spain worldwide now leads the league in purpose contributions this season with seven, forward of teammates Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who’ve six and 5 respectively.
Previous to Sunday’s brace in opposition to Girona, 4 of Yamal’s 5 purpose contributions had arrived through assists, with Barça coach Hansi Flick welcoming the addition of extra targets to his sport.
“I used to be actually pleased as a result of he scored the purpose,” Flick stated of his response to the opening purpose. “Lamine usually offers the final cross and I used to be pleased that he scored in the present day.”
Yamal’s opening purpose got here through Barça’s excessive press, which significantly impressed Flick and has been a attribute of his group’s unbeaten begin to the brand new marketing campaign.
“We began the match very concentrated, very targeted and we pressed them actually good,” the German coach added.
“The primary purpose was unbelievable, actually good from Lamine [in the press], and we deserved the win and the end result.
“We go now with the boldness we now have constructed up during the last matches, you may see it additionally in the present day, about our strains, about how we keep as a unit, very compact and really excessive.
“It is usually not straightforward to do that, however we all the time want stress on the ball and we did it good. I believe you may see the boldness we now have and, when we now have the ball, we now have the standard to play and to create probabilities.”
Olmo added the third with a surprising strike from a decent angle earlier than Pedri made it 4-0 after amassing a Marc Casadó cross and rounding the goalkeeper as Barça banished recollections of a 4-2 defeat at Montilivi which ended their slim title hopes on the finish of final season.
Nevertheless, the sport ended on a bitter observe, with Stuani scoring a comfort for the house aspect, Ferran Torres receiving a straight pink card for a foul on Yáser Asprilla that may earn him a suspension and Olmo going off with an harm.
Flick stated Olmo will bear assessments on Monday to find out the character of the hamstring drawback, however there’s optimism he won’t be sidelined for lengthy with Barça on account of kick off their Champions League marketing campaign at Monaco on Thursday earlier than a visit to Villarreal in LaLiga.
