Numbers highlight Barcelona’s growing reliance on their €150 million-rated phenom | OneFootball

Barcelona’s 0-1 loss to Real Sociedad highlighted the club’s clear reliance on Lamine Yamal, whose absence was strongly felt.

Despite the solid performance by the team from San Sebastian, Barcelona’s lack of impact in the game was evident, and it is hard to deny that Yamal’s presence in the starting XI could have made a difference.

At just 17, the young forward has quickly become one of Barcelona’s most important players, influencing games in ways that few others can.

Yamal has already set a number of records and has contributed significantly to Barcelona’s attacking play this season, which can be backed up by impressive statistics.

Barcelona have struggled without him

In fact, Barcelona’s two losses in La Liga this season both came in the only matches where Yamal was absent from the starting line-up.

Against Osasuna, he entered the game for the final 30 minutes, but his brief appearance wasn’t enough to make up for the team’s struggles.

Barcelona have lost both matches where Lamine Yamal has not started. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

His absence against Real Sociedad, due to injury, left Barcelona without their key player, and it showed. Barcelona, the highest-scoring team in Europe, did not even manage a single shot on target during the match.

This season, Yamal has been a standout performer in La Liga. He currently leads the league with seven assists, is among the top scorers with 5 goals, and is fourth in the number of shots taken.

Furthermore, he has made the most dribbles in the competition, with a total of 79. Yamal has featured in 12 of Barcelona’s 13 La Liga games, and with his contributions, Barcelona have averaged 3.3 goals per game.

Without him, however, the team failed to score against Real Sociedad for the first time in 31 official matches.

Tactically, Yamal’s role on the right wing has been crucial. His mere presence on that side stretches opposing defences, opening up space for other players to move into attacking positions.

Whether or not he’s directly involved in a play, his ability to draw defenders wide creates opportunities for teammates to exploit gaps in the defence, making his absence all the more significant.

*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on the date of publication.