Lamine Yamal breaks long-standing Lionel Messi record at Barcelona

Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal has continued to strengthen comparisons with club icon Lionel Messi after another prodigious performance over the weekend.

The Catalans secured a 1-0 win over Alaves on Sunday, taking advantage of Real Madrid’s shock defeat to Espanyol to cut the deficit on La Liga’s leader to four points.

Robert Lewandowski scored the only goal of the game after an hour played. Yamal was unable to add to his tally of 15 assists for the season but was still a force as broke a record set by Messi in 2007.

An electric teenage Messi attempted 20 dribbles when Barcelona faced Mallorca 18 years ago, completing ten of them, to set a Barcelona record in La Liga. Against Alaves, Yamal exceeded that number, attempting 21 dribbles and completing 11.

Yamal won’t turn 18 until July and is already having a significantly greater impact than Messi did at the same age. Messi was aged 17 and four months when he made his senior Barcelona debut back in 2004 and had only scored one goal – with no assists – in nine games by the time he turned 18.

Leo Messi, Nunes

Lionel Messi shredded Mallorca in 2007 / Bagu Blanco/GettyImages

Yamal has had his chances much sooner, remarkably handed a first-team debut as a 15-year-old and establishing himself as arguably Barcelona’s most important player last season when he was 16.

With almost four months of this season still to play at 17, Yamal has already made 79 senior appearances and has racked up 39 goals and assists during that time.

“Lamine is a genius. What he did, in some situations, it’s unbelievable,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick reflected after the Alaves game. “I am very happy that he is playing for Barca. It’s great.

“For 17 years old, he’s doing great, and every match is good. And the opponents are not so easy to play against. They are strong, defending good, they try to attack him, aggressive, but he’s doing g

ood. I love it.”