Barcelona banks on 'scoundrel' starlet Yamal for Napoli clash

Green shoots of hope have been sparse amidst the challenges facing the reigning Spanish champions, Barcelona, this season. However, amid the adversity, the emergence of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has shone as a beacon of promise.

The 16-year-old winger could prove crucial in the Champions League last 16 second-leg clash with Napoli on Tuesday at the club's temporary Olympic Stadium home.

Yamal became the youngest player ever to feature in the Champions League knock-out stages as he impressed in the 1-1 first-leg draw in the south of Italy.

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring, but Victor Osimhen pegged Barcelona back, leaving the tie finely poised.

Off the pace in La Liga and out of the Copa del Rey, Barca's best hope for this season is a deep run in Europe.

On Friday, Yamal made the difference for them against Real Mallorca in La Liga, scoring a sensational goal out of nothing to snatch Barcelona third, a 1-0 win.

It led Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre to label the young Spanish international a "rat" and a "scoundrel" – in the most positive sense possible.

The grizzled Mexican coach compared Yamal's emergence to Barcelona's best player and record goalscorer, Lionel Messi.

"The first time I saw Messi was with Barcelona's youth team. I saw him for five minutes, and he was a rat; he did not stop scoring goals," said Aguirre.

"Lamine looks like a rat, too, the scoundrel."

With veteran striker Lewandowski playing inconsistently and winger Ousmane Dembele departing for Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Yamal has become a vital source of goals and inspiration for Barcelona.

The forward has netted six goals and provided seven assists in 37 appearances across all competitions this season, many as a substitute.

He has recently become an essential part of coach Xavi Hernandez's team, starting in nine of his last ten appearances.

'Flashes of Messi' 

Yamal hit a brace to rescue Barcelona from a 3-3 draw against Granada in La Liga in February, coincidentally against the same side against which he netted in October to become the division's youngest-ever goalscorer.

The 16-year-old is Barcelona's most dangerous player. He is fast and one of the few natural dribblers they have.

At times in matches, the Catalans already seem dependent on him. Lacking creativity in other areas, Barcelona seeks Yamal and asks him to make a difference.

That was the case with Messi, too, although comparing him to arguably the greatest player of all time would be unfair to a player just beginning his career.

"Comparisons don't help him because he is different; anyone who has been compared with Messi comes out losing," Xavi told reporters Friday.

"There are moments in which he has flashes of Messi because he's left-footed playing on the right and comes inside, but comparing him with the best player in history is not good because he will lose."

Yamal became the youngest player to feature in a Clasico when facing Real Madrid in October and the youngest player to play for and score for Spain in September.

With three of Barcelona's key midfielders Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Gavi out injured, there is more pressure on Yamal to produce something special to take the team through. So far, Yamal has shown he can handle it.

Source: AFP