Real Sociedad's Coach Praises Lamine Yamal as the Best in the World

Lamine Yamal came back from injury and instantly stood out, leading Barcelona to victory over Real Sociedad and receiving exceptional compliments from coach Sergio Francisco.

Right after entering the field, Lamine Yamal made an impact by assisting Robert Lewandowski, playing a key role in Barcelona’s 2-1 win against Real Sociedad. This comeback made coach Sergio Francisco acknowledge him as the best player in the world at the moment.

Before Yamal’s appearance, Barcelona faced numerous challenges. Real Sociedad adopted a deep defensive strategy, forming a solid block to limit their opponent’s attacking power. Despite dominating possession, Barca struggled throughout the first 60 minutes as goalkeeper Alex Remiro performed brilliantly and the Catalan forwards repeatedly missed crucial chances.

The turning point came in the 58th minute when coach Hansi Flick decided to bring Yamal on. With his excellent stamina and smart ball control, he quickly unsettled Sociedad’s defense. In just one move, Yamal proved his worth by delivering a precise cross that allowed Lewandowski to score.

After the match, coach Sergio Francisco did not hold back his praise: "Lamine’s presence on the pitch was a constant threat. It’s very difficult to stop him, even when fresh players are brought on just to mark him. It’s wonderful to watch him play. Once again, Yamal has shown that he might be the best player in the world. His substitution was decisive for the outcome of the match."

That assist also highlighted Yamal’s remarkable development. Besides speed and skill, what sets him apart is his mature decision-making, unlike many young talents who have come through Camp Nou. However, experts remain concerned that the intense schedule might lead to overload, similar to what happened with Pedri before. Barcelona must carefully manage his fitness to protect this precious talent as the 2025-26 season is long and the World Cup approaches.

The victory over Sociedad helped Barca claim the top spot in La Liga and build momentum for the big clash with PSG in the Champions League at 2:00 AM on October 2 (Vietnam time). This promises to be a high-level showdown between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele – the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner. Will Yamal continue to prove his mettle on Europe’s biggest stage?