Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is more deadly than teenage Barcelona sensation

Lamine Yamal continued his rich vein of form for Barcelona against Girona, scoring twice in a 4-1 victory for the LaLiga giants at Montilivi.

The opening goal was all his own work as he robbed David López before calmly finishing past Paulo Gazzaniga. His second, meanwhile, whizzed into the net from the edge of the box just a few minutes later.

Although the winger only just turned 17 in July, he has already shown he is capable of being one of world soccer’s most decisive players for club and country.

Lamine Yamal more lethal than Kane, Lewandowski and Salah

In the early stages of the 2024/25 season, only one player in Europe’s major leagues has been directly involved in more goals than Yamal, who has assisted four in addition to the three he has scored himself.

Unsurprisingly, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland leads the way with nine goals (no assists), with Yamal next on the list with seven (three goals, four assists).

That puts the youngster ahead of big names such as Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (four goals, two assists), teammate Robert Lewandowski (four goals, two assists), Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (three goals, three assists) and PSG winger Ousmane Dembélé (three goals, two assists), as well the likes of Marseille’ duo Mason Greenwood (five goals) and Luis Henrique (three goals, two assists), Hoffenheim striker Andre Kramaric (four goals, one assist) and Barça’s Raphinha (three goals, two assists).

The teenager was named Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024, which he played a key role in helping Spain win, and is one of the 30 players nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Yamal, it seems, is here to stay.

Barça youngster mature beyond his years

Since making his Barcelona debut as a 15-year-old in April 2023, the forward’s maturity and confidence on the field have belied his age. It was even in evidence against Girona on Sunday, when he could easily have become flustered after losing possession while dribbling in the early stages.

Instead, he kept his head up and was rewarded with two goals, which he celebrated with little fanfare. Yamal had the opportunity to add to his tally himself, but showed great unselfishness to pick out teammates in a better position, notably Lewandowski, who went close to a fifth Barça goal in the second half.

With Dani Olmo set for a month out of action, and the Champions League about to begin with an away game in Monaco on Thursday, there will be little respite for Yamal in the coming weeks. He has shown flashes of his brilliance in spells, but can he keep it up across a full season? Time is on his side, but coach Hansi Flick is already hanging his hat on the young winger.