"A great player" - Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal says he's excited to take on Manchester City star at EURO 2024
In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal praised Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol. The La Masia graduate expressed his eagerness to take on the 22-year-old at EURO 2024, with Spain and Croatia being drawn into the same group.
Gvardiol moved from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig to the Etihad for a whopping €90 million in August 2023. A centre-back by nature, he can also be deployed as a left-back due to his incredible ball-carrying, dribbling, and passing, qualities that wooed City coach Pep Guardiola.
Initially, the Croatian struggled to find his feet in the Spaniard's side, flitting between the starting lineup and the bench. However, he gradually eased into the left-back role and became one of the best performers for his side in the second half of the 2023-24 EPL season. He made 42 appearances for City across all competitions, bagging five goals and three assists.
Relishing the prospect of coming up against Gvardiol in the first game of their EURO 2024 campaign, Yamal said (via Barca Universal):
"Yes. He is a great player. He plays for City, which is one of the best teams in the world for me, and he plays as a starter there. For that, you have to be a great player. I really want to face him."
Speaking about the quality of the Croatian national side and how tricky it could be for La Roja to get past them, the Barcelona forward added:
"It will be very difficult. Croatia is a team that become very strong in these competitions, a rival who have a lot of experience, who know how to play. I hope, obviously, the victory, but it will be very complicated."
"I don't think much about it" - Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal on comparisons with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal appeared to be unfazed by fans and media drawing up comparisons between himself and footballing legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Having emerged from La Masia, Barcelona's famed academy, the comparisons to the Argentine maestro, arguably the club's best-ever player, were bound to happen. Yamal has also been likened to the Portuguese icon, but the correlations didn't seem to bother him.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Yamal said (via Barca Universal):
"I don’t think about it much because they were also other times. Above all, I try to focus on the present, on the now, which is the European Championship, and focus on the games. I don’t think about comparisons. I try to be me, play my game and get people to recognize me for being Lamine."
With his explosive pace, silky dribbling, and lethal finishing, Yamal will be a key member of Spain's frontline at the upcoming tournament.