Jagoba Arrasate sings Lamine Yamal’s praises ahead of Mallorca vs. Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been unable to win any of their last three La Liga games, making their upcoming game against Mallorca a must-win tie if they are to maintain their lead in the league table and avoid a crisis.

However, getting a win in this game is not going to be easy, as the hosts for this game are currently sixth in La Liga, and will try their best in front of their fans to get a good result against the league leaders, which will also help them get into the UEFA Champions League spots.

But getting a win will not be easy for them either, especially as Barcelona will be boosted for this game with the return of several of their key players.

In fact, the Mallorca coach, Jagoba Arrasate, was aware of this fact as he spoke to the press ahead of this game. As SPORT has reported, the Spanish tactician was particularly impressed by the young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, stating:

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“It’s striking that a 17-year-old player can have such an impact on his team, on the game, on everything he does. With him, they’ve played 11 league matches and won all 11. And when he hasn’t been there, they haven’t won.”

Arrasate further elaborated on how Yamal’s presence significantly boosts Barcelona’s attacking capabilities:

“This doesn’t mean he’s indispensable or that all the credit goes to him, but it helps to understand the impact he has on the game. They probably attack with more structure, have more offensive solutions, and the team is better prepared to attack after losing the ball.”

The Mallorca coach noted that while Yamal’s brilliance is no longer surprising due to his consistent performances for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team, it remains remarkable for a player of his age.

“It’s no longer surprising because he’s been doing this for a year, but we must appreciate that a 17-year-old has such an impact at Barcelona and with the national team.”

Although Barcelona fans might have now been used to seeing Yamal putting in top-level performances for more than a year now, there is definitely merit in Arrasate’s comment that seeing such a young player perform at such a high level is quite surprising.

Hopefully, the youngster will be able to turn the team’s fortunes in La Liga with his return tonight, even though he might not yet be back to his best physical level.