It took Lamine Yamal 70 seconds to score the opening goal against Croatia in the Nations League, but what impressed was the way Spain built the game. The opposition never touched the ball, hampered by a network of 25 quick passes that moved the ball from one side of the pitch to the other, until the right space and time were found for the striker to combine and penetrate. The rest was done by Barcelona's talent.
How Lamine Yamal's first goal against Croatia came about
At Wembley, on the occasion of the challenge against England played in the first round, the Red Furies needed two minutes to score the first goal. The author, as one might guess, was always the same: Lamine. In the second match, the Iberian representative repeated the success, with an explosive start even compared to the previous match: 1 minute and 10 seconds of tight circulation, built from behind, thought out but not as an objective in itself, put Croatia in crisis, which never managed to interrupt the collective action that culminated in Yamal's goal. And the purity of the action became the manifesto of what the world champion national team is today.
Guardiola: "Only Messi has dominated me like this"
Josko Guardiola is one of the strongest defenders on the international stage and listening to his words when talking about Lamine Yamal explains well what it means even for a footballer of his level to find himself facing the Spain and Barcelona striker. "There are only two footballers who have completely dominated me in my career. The first was Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup, and the second was Lamine Yamal against Spain."
The Croatian centre-back then revealed the difficulties he faced during the match. "I tried everything to stop him, but I realised it was almost impossible. From the way he plays, you realise he is undoubtedly the best in the world."
But the most interesting part of his analysis refers to the evolution of the young Spaniard, it has to do with his maturity and ability to be fully part of the team's project, despite having technical qualities that place him at a higher level than his own national team teammates. "What has really impressed me about Yamal is that now he doesn't look for dribbling at all costs as soon as he gets the chance. He knows when it's time to pass the ball, when it's right to shoot and when to attack the space."
