"Better than Vini", "Destined for greatness" - Barcelona fans laud starlet as he helps Xavi's men beat Osasuna in their Supercopa S/F
Barcelona fans have heralded Lamine Yamal after another stunning display from the teenager in his side's 2-0 Supercopa de Espana semi-final win against Osasuna tonight (January 11).
Yamal continues to break records and he did so again tonight after he scored Barca's second. The Spanish winger struck a sweet effort from just inside the box to take his tally for the season to two goals and four assists in 26 games across competitions.
The 16-year-old became the youngest player in the competition's history to score on his debut in the tournament. But, that wasn't the only impressive part of his performance tonight.
Yamal came on in the 42nd minute after Raphinha picked up a knock. He took his opportunity with aplomb, making one key pass, and finding his man with one long ball.
Robert Lewandowski initially had put Barcelona in front in the 59th minute when he fired home following a clever assist from Ilkay Gundogan. It means Xavi's men will face Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final on Sunday (January 14).
Yamal appears to be eyeing another goal in that final as he was asked about doing so following the win. He said (via Barca Universal):
"I hope so."
Barca's youngest-ever player came in for praise from fans, with one insisting he's better than Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior:
"Better than Vini."
Another fan alluded to Yamal scoring on his Supercopa debut:
"Lamine Yamal is the youngest player to score on his Supercopa Debut. Destined for greatness."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the Spain international's outing:
Xavi talks up Lamine Yamal's performance and the El Clasico final when reacting to Barcelona's win
Xavi moved to praise Yamal following Barcelona's victory against Osasuna at Al-Awwal Stadium. The Spanish coach said (via Barca Universal):
"We're satisfied because we played a good match, Pedri and Lamine were good when they came on."
Barca will face Madrid in the final in a replay of last season's final which the Catalan giants won 3-1. Xavi alluded to this by urging his team to replicate that performance:
"I hope that we play well in the final, like we did last year. We're the current champions and we will enjoy the match."
Yamal has been a bright spark in an otherwise underwhelming season for Barcelona thus far. Xavi's men sit third in La Liga, seven points behind leaders Madrid.
The Catalan giants have booked their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League where they'll face Serie A giants Napoli. The first leg takes place on February 21 with the second leg on March 12. Yamal will hope to build on tonight's performance and hope for a consistent run in Xavi's starting lineup.