Lamine Yamal never sought to take on such responsibility from his early days, but he has achieved records that the Argentine did not manage after making the leap to Barcelona's first team. He became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for Barcelona, significantly breaking Giovanni Dos Santos' record, which he achieved at 19 years and 6 days, and that of a legend like Leo Messi, who set it at 19 years and 259 days. He never wanted to look in the mirror. Three left-footed strikes to shape his first professional hat-trick and to invite the Barça fandom to dream of a historic comeback. With no ceiling in sight, enjoying himself on the pitch and making the entire Camp Nou have fun, the leap in quality he is showing in his finishing is another step in the growth of a formidable footballer. Having overcome the pubalgia that hampered him for part of the season, Lamine Yamal's best version is now taking on the leadership of Barcelona. The 4-0 conceded at the Metropolitano in the first leg of the semi-finals made the return leg seem impossible, but with Lamine Yamal in sublime form, no one dares to say it for sure. 'I'm happy playing now,' he confessed after his exhibition. Lamine Yamal's limitless growth reached a new peak on one of those important days, in a big match against Villarreal, where he put on a football recital at Camp Nou. He is now, with 18 goals, Barcelona's top scorer. Six goals in the last six league matchdays to reach the 18-goal tally, equaling his best scoring record without losing his essence in passing, with 13 assists. On the day of his first hat-trick, at 18 years and 230 days. Lamine Yamal added a new record of precocity to those he had already achieved after storming the elite as a 16-year-old child. He fled from comparisons with Messi. 'It makes me want to smile, playing as I haven't in a long time,' he added after feeling the weight of criticism for a poor performance in the defeat at Montilivi but rising with character to once again drive Barcelona's leadership. And all this, conditioned during the month of Ramadan, playing without being able to eat during daylight hours. 'For about a week now, I've been feeling much better,' he said. In front of him were the forwards, Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski. 'I'm hungry, eh,' he joked after scoring three goals that still don't satiate his appetite for titles at a key moment in the season when the path to the big challenges of the year is being clarified with his most decisive image.
