Bring on the Ballon d'Or! Yamal matches Messi's impressive achievement
Lamine Yamal has matched a unique achievement of Lionel Messi in the Spanish league. The 18-year-old Spaniard scored twice in the fifth-round La Liga match against Levante, which Barcelona won 4:2.
It was already Yamal's third brace in his last three La Liga matches. He had previously scored twice against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia, and has now produced another brace against Levante.
According to OptaJose, Yamal has become the second player in the 21st century to score three braces in his team's first five La Liga matches of a season. The first was Lionel Messi, who achieved the same feat for Barcelona in the 2012/13 season.
Yamal's statistics over his last four matches are equally impressive: he has scored seven goals and provided two assists. In addition to his three league braces, the Spaniard scored once and provided two assists in the Champions League match against Feyenoord.
Yamal is therefore continuing to close in rapidly on Messi's achievements. The young Barcelona star has now matched the Argentine's record, set more than a decade ago, and continues to rewrite the history of the Catalan club.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
