Lamine Yamal Is Following Lionel Messi’s Footsteps in a Greatest-Ever Statistical Season

Yamal matches a historic pace

Yamal responded to finishing third in the Ballon d’Or voting with a two-goal performance against Alavés. He also set up Fermín López as Barcelona won 6–1 on Saturday.

His 12 goals and 11 assists have come in 14 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions. The last player from a Spanish side to reach double figures in both categories before October was Messi in 2011.

Messi’s remarkable 2011–12 season

Messi’s fast start preceded the most prolific scoring season of his career. He ended the 2011–12 campaign with 73 goals and 30 assists in all competitions for Barcelona.

Barcelona did not win La Liga or the Champions League that season. Yamal, unlike Messi then, has a prolific supporting cast around him.

Raphinha adds to Barcelona’s firepower

Yamal is not Barcelona’s leading scorer this season: that place belongs to Raphinha. Against Alavés, Raphinha scored his 14th and 15th La Liga goals of the campaign. No player in Spain’s top flight had reached 15 league goals after 11 matchdays since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014–15. Ronaldo had scored 18 by that stage and finished the campaign with 48 league goals.

A rare opening stretch

Across the past 75 La Liga seasons, only three players have had a start as prolific as Raphinha’s after 11 matchdays. Messi and Ronaldo are the other two, according to stats cited from Mister Chip.

Yamal placed third in the latest Ballon d’Or, while Raphinha was not nominated. Messi and Ronaldo both received the award during their prolific careers; Barcelona’s pair could have another chance to impress at next year’s ceremony.