Lamine Yamal made history in the Champions League on Tuesday, becoming the youngest player to score and assist in a match. The 17-year-old played a key role in Barcelonaโs 3-1 victory over Benfica, securing their place in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate win.
His assist was a moment of brillianceโdriving toward the visitors’ box before threading a perfectly weighted pass to Raphinha, who volleyed home. Minutes later, Yamal produced a stunning goal of his own, curling a strike from the edge of the box beyond the goalkeeper into the far corner.
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“His goal was spectacular,” Raphinha said. “It shows what Lamine isโhe’s a spectacular player with tremendous quality.” Barcelonaโs 3-1 victory on the night sealed a 4-1 aggregate win, setting up a quarter-final clash with either Borussia Dortmund or Lille. Manager Hansi Flick praised Yamalโs impact.
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โLamine hadn’t scored for over a month, so he’s happy because it was a very important goal for us,โ Flick said. โWe are all happy for himโhe is a great kid and a fantastic player.โ
Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves compared Yamalโs rise to that of Wayne Rooney, who made his mark as a teenager at Everton. “I’ve never seen a 17-year-old this consistent,” Hargreaves said. “Rooney was out of this world, but this kid is unbelievable. He scores, creates and makes it look incredibly easyโthe best 17-year-old I’ve seen.”
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Yamal has already played 50 games for Barcelona last season and has made 36 appearances this term. However, former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman cautioned against overuse. โYou have to be careful because we saw it with Pedri, Ansu Fati and Gavi, who suffered injuries at a young age,โ McManaman said.
โBarcelona know how to develop young players, but avoiding injuries is key. Heโs too good to be missing from the football field.โ
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