Champions League: Lamine Yamal in the form of his life, still scoreless against PSG

Barcelona swept Betis aside 5-2 in Seville on Saturday and Lamine Yamal was involved in everything: an exceptional goal to open the scoring, a devastating dribble and a curled finish into the top corner, an assist for Gabriel Jesus, the man-of-the-match award. Hansi Flick took him off with the score at 4-2, after an altercation near the benches with Facundo Bernal, who was sent off, and a La Cartuja crowd whistling him at every touch. Flick was protecting his winger, with Paris on Tuesday and the Clásico to come.

The numbers move as fast as he does: 19 goals involved in 11 matches, 9 goals and 10 assists, a goal involvement every 47 minutes against 88 last season, a Barcelona side on a 100 percent winning run and 4.4 goals per game. “For me, right now, he is the best player in the world,” Flick said after the 5-2. On the substitution: “I had to take Lamine off, it was obvious. I told him I was proud of him, that he had played fantastically.”

Three matches, no goal

PSG remain the only club Yamal has never scored against, in three meetings, each time contained by Nuno Mendes, down to the World Cup duel the Portuguese won. The Paris left-back is out: a lesion to his left thigh will keep him sidelined for the coming weeks, according to the club’s statement. Luis Enrique, a week after the 4-2 win over Manchester City, is planning a collective answer: “The best way to defend is to have the ball,” he said on Monday, before adding: “You have to be alert and overcome it collectively, not individually.” “Lamine Yamal does what Lamine Yamal does. He is improving in every aspect of his game,” the Paris coach added, cutting short any comparison: “it serves nobody to compare him with the best player of all time, Lionel Messi.”

A 250 million euro rumour

PSG’s interest in Yamal is “real” according to Foot Mercato, and Joan Laporta has even put a figure on it: “When PSG offered us 250 million euros for Lamine Yamal and we said no, he was still 17.” The player is under contract until 2031, with a release clause of one billion euros: no contact has been confirmed.

On Tuesday evening (21:00 in Paris), for matchday three of the league phase, Yamal has already sent his message: “Paris j’arrive”, he wrote on Snapchat, in a story relayed by Jules Kounde as the Barcelona delegation arrived on Sunday.