Lamine Yamal’s surge to stardom has been truly electrifying. He has been sensational on and off the pitch, and it’s been a true blessing for the Catalans. However, some interesting questions arise regarding the 17-year-old’s consistency. Yamal has been phenomenal in home games and erupted the crowd countless times. But does away game pressure dim his spark? Let’s dissect the statistics and psychology behind this aspect of Barca’s teenage prodigy.
Yamal’s Home Brilliance is his Talent or Just a Fuel From Fans?
Lamine Yamal has been a phenomenal talent for Barca. And at home, he has been literally unplayable. The 17-year-old has 8 goal contributions in his last 10 Montjuic appearances (per Opta). His flair is at the top when he hears culers roaring. But let’s analyze the La Masia star’s performances away from home.
The numbers dip slightly: just two assists in 7 away La Liga games. Does he just feed off the energy from the fans? Does he rely on a familiar atmosphere to unlock his genius? The dribble statistics dip a bit, with 68% dribble success at home while 51% away. However, it must be noted Yamal has not let fans down when the stakes have been high. The clasico away performance, the winner against Atletico, and Euro’s performances say the opposite.
These Underlying Statistics Reveal Yamal’s Hidden Versatility
It’s crucial to keep in mind that Yamal is just 17. Yamal’s 5.19 dribbles per away game (63% success) surpassed even teenage Messi in 2005-06. The dribbles and his 0.28 xG+xA per away game are greater than a 17-year-old Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Let that sink in.
It’s not that Yamal has not proven himself in hostile territories. As I mentioned before, he tends to perform better in high-stakes games, home or away. Yamal scored his first UCL goal against a hostile Monaco crowd. The goal against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu was also a testament to his high motivation in hostile away crowds. He might be a little low on numbers right now, but he performs when it matters. And also, the best is yet to come; he is only 17.
Bottom Line
Statistics sometimes never show the true picture. Yamal’s so-called away game issues are magnified because Barca has been a team which has struggled a lot in away games. Yamal basically gets abandoned in such games, as seen recently in the game against Dortmund.
He receives 22% fewer progressive passes in such games and thus the numbers drop. So that stats are not poor, it’s just a collective issue. The thing to note, dear readers, is that at just 17, he is matching legends and is on the trajectory to be one of the best players ever.