Who is Lamine Yamal? Xavi compares 15-year-old Barcelona debutant to Lionel Messi

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez handed a surprise debut cap to 15-year-old Lamine Yamal during the La Liga 2022-23 match against Real Betis on Saturday night. As the Catalan giants earned a 4-0 win at home, debutant Yamal almost registered his name in the list of athletes to make goal-scoring contributions. While he became one of just five players to play in La Liga before turning 16, he also narrowly missed out on a goal in his debut.

As per ESPN, speaking about the young athlete after the match, head coach Xavi Hernandez likened him to the likes of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and current Barca star Ansu Fati. “I told him to try things and he did. At 15 years old, just imagine it... He is special and he could have even scored tonight, but [Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva] saved. He played with confidence and he showed what he is about. He has no fear and bags of talent. Some of his passes in the final third were really good."

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"Can mark an era at this club"

Referring to the comparison to Messi, Xavi Hernandez added, “He's a similar player because he has that innate talent in the final third which is difficult to find. Lamine doesn't seem like a 15-year-old, he's very mature. He's ready [to play] and he is training well. He can mark an era at this club as part of this team". Yamal was brought into the pitch with just a few minutes in the clock, as Barcelona cruised with a 4-0 lead.

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With the victory, Barcelona extended their lead in the La Liga 2022-23 points table to 11 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid. While Yamal became a notable direction due to his debut, Andreas Christensen earlier opened the scoresheet in the 14th minute. Robert Lewandowski eventually scored in the 36th minute before Raphinhha netted another at 39 minutes. The fourth goal of the night was an own goal by Guiso Rodriguez.