Barcelona’s young starlet, Lamine Yamal, predicts that he will eventually transition into a central playing position, closely following the tactical footsteps of club legend Lionel Messi. The highly talented 18-year-old is currently performing brilliantly on the wings for both his club and national team, but he firmly believes that moving to the center is an inevitable step to escape the constant triple-marking he currently faces.
Tracing Messi’s Career Path
Yamal has become a massive talking point in the football world thanks to his brilliant emergence, with many fans and pundits comparing his current career trajectory to the greatest legend ever to wear the Blaugrana shirt. Just as the iconic Argentine transitioned from being a terrifying winger into a masterful playmaker in the midfield, Yamal also foresees his future lying far away from the touchline.
In a recent interview with El Mundo, the teenager explained the detailed reasoning behind his tactical outlook:
“I think Leo was also marked by three players. And the only place where three players cannot mark you is in the center. There are simply too many players there. As time goes on, I will end up there, because it is very easy for opponents to defend with three players on the wing, but they absolutely cannot mark me in the middle.”
Becoming a More Serious Threat
The Euro 2024 star is currently a reliable mainstay on the right wing, perfectly utilizing his exceptional speed and trickery to disrupt tightly packed defensive lines. However, he acknowledges that he feels his true potential as a match-winner is far greater when operating in the tight spaces between solid defensive structures. He has already shown impressive glimpses of this versatility, being occasionally deployed in a much more central role.
“I can face a defender one-on-one in the middle. I become a much more decisive player if I pivot into the center rather than if I pivot out to the wing,” Yamal stated. “Of course, right now I think it is much better for the team if I continue to play on the wing. But a time will undoubtedly come when I will be more decisive in the center. And I will end up there.”
The Challenge of Triple-Marking
Opposing teams have quickly realized that leaving the youngster in a simple one-on-one situation is a clear recipe for disaster. Yamal revealed that he is now fully accustomed to being swarmed by multiple defenders all at once, though he remains completely calm in finding creative ways to bypass these tactical traps by involving his teammates much more effectively.
“At least three [markers]. If I’m lucky, two. But one-on-one, never, absolutely not,” he remarked when asked about the intense defensive attention he regularly receives. “So I started thinking about game schemes: I talk to the full-back and tell him, ‘If I pass the ball to you, do this.’ The manager tells me, ‘If there are three players constantly watching you, it means there are three teammates completely free.’ So it is largely about playing out from the back, of course, but dribbling is entirely about improvisation. You cannot plan it. That is impossible.”
