Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has surpassed Kylian Mbappe as the youngest ever to reach the UCL milestone
Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has surpassed Kylian Mbappe’s record to become the youngest player to reach 25 assists in UEFA Champions League history. The 19-year-old reached the milestone during Barcelona’s 4-1 comeback win over Galatasaray, registering two assists in the match.Yamal set up Fermín’s goal in the 50th minute and assisted Anthony Gordon three minutes later.The performance took his Champions League tally to 12 goals and 14 assists to reach 25 goal contributions at the age of 19 years and 92 days. Mbappe previously held the record when he achieved the feat at 20 years and 306 days.
Yamal’s dribbling steals the show
Although Gordon scored Barcelona’s third goal, Yamal impressed with some impressive dribbling to create a scoring opportunity. After receiving the ball on the right outside the penalty area, he used a cross before pulling off a clever fake ‘rabona’ to get past Galatasaray defender Eren Elmali. He then passed the ball to Gordon, who scored from close range.Rabona is a soccer move in which a player swings one leg behind the other to kick the ball. Yamal used a variation of the trick to beat his opponent and create space for a pass. Elmali seemed momentarily taken aback by the movement.Yamal described it as a “near-rabona” and explained his thinking after the match.“Lately, I’ve noticed defenders dropping to the ground whenever I run toward the back line,” Yamal said in a postgame interview with CBS Sports. “I saw an opportunity to make a move that looks good but is also effective. I’m happy with it. I’m always trying to improve my dribbles to create more space. Defenders are always trying to close you down, so any kind of dribble that creates space is a save.”
Record young Talent
After Gordon scored, several Barcelona players celebrated with the England striker, while others rushed to hug Yamal.“He always surprises you,” said Barcelona midfielder Rodri.Yamal also enjoyed an impressive season, scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists in 14 appearances for club and country. His Champions League success puts him ahead of Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lionel Messi, underlining his rapid rise among football’s biggest young stars.