He leads the LaLiga ranking of dribblings, even surpassing Mbappé
There is no one who follows football even remotely who has any doubts about the quality, talent and abilities of Lamine Yamal. At 17, he has brought the world of football to his feet. Last season he was the great revelation and this year he is still destined to be one of the names on the international scene: he has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or and also for the Kopa Trophy for the best young player in the world . A few days ago, he made a revelation: as a child he was introduced to dogs, he had to run faster than them and avoid them. And it seems that this special and peculiar work paid off: he is the LaLiga footballer who does the most dribbles.
I always played with my dogs, because my father said they were going to bite me and I would run with them; playing against a dog is the hardest thing you can do.
“I always played with my dogs, because my father said they were going to bite me and I would run away. Playing against a dog is the hardest thing you can do,” said the striker, a full international, in an interview with L’Equipe last week . The mischief he acquired in his ‘sessions’ and matches in the street, whether with dogs or with older children, helped him become the footballer he is today and to enhance his qualities: “Playing in the street, one on one, took away my fear of facing older people. They were 20 years old and I was 11.”
That basic learning that he has polished, increased and perfected at La Masia defines him. The 17-year-old Spanish international is the LaLiga footballer who has made the most dribbles in these first four LaLiga matches : 15. He is closely followed by Real Madrid’s big signing, Mbappé, with 14. Lamine Yamal also leads another important ranking of statistics for the regular national tournament. His verticality has a reward for his teammates: he is the professional who has given the most goal assists: 4, two in the rout against Valladolid . And he has scored one goal, the one he scored against Athletic .
The Barça youth player, the most outstanding player in the Barça squad and its hallmark, is an undisputed regular under Hansi Flick. He has started all four games and has completed three. Against Valencia, the German coach sent him to the bench in the 86th minute. The right flank of the Barça attack is owned by the small 17-year-old winger, who has turned his marking into a real torment for his opponents.
