Barcelona Fields 15 Year Old Forward – FC Barcelona made history on Saturday when they brought 15-year-old forward Lamine Yamal in a Spanish La Liga game against Real Betis where they won, 4-0. Yamal was fielded in as a replacement for Gavi with four minutes plus stoppage time remaining. He made his debut at 15 years, nine months and 16 days old and became the youngest-ever player in the league.
He played 10 minutes for the club and had a shot on target for Barca, which maintained their 11-point advantage at the top of the table. Barcelona manager Xavi was all praises with the young footballer, saying that he has innate talent in the position that is difficult to find nowadays. Sports betting experts even compare him to former Barca great Lionel Messi and Ansu Fati, who also made their debuts at young ages for the club.
Barcelona Fields 15 Year Old Forward: Making His Presence Felt
Lamine Yamal made an account for himself in his short stint as he also created an opportunity for Ousmane Dembele with a scooped pass over the top for the French winger. One of the veterans, Raphinha admitted that the team were talking about Yamal’s debut, saying that it is incredible to see him playing with the La Liga squad with tens of thousands of people watching. Although he did not score a goal, Raphinha said that Yamal’s entry to the game against Betis was already an achievement.
He sees the young star as a vital piece for the club in the future. Overall, Yamal is the second youngest player fielded by Barcelona in the tournaments they played in. Albert Almasque holds the title for that feat as he was just 13 years, 11 months and six days old when he played at the Macaya Cup in 1902.
German FA, Referee Admit Blunder in Dortmund-Bochum Encounter
A mistake was made in officiating during the match between Borussia Dortmund and Bochum in the German Bundesliga on Friday. On Saturday, the German Football Association, locally known as DFB, and the referee who officiated the encounter admitted that Dortmund should have been awarded with a penalty kick midway through the second half. The non-call proved to be costly for first-placed Dortmund as the draw put them two points ahead of main rivals Bayern Munich in the table. A win by Bayern at home in their fixture against last-placed Hertha Berlin on Sunday would move them to the top spot, a point ahead of Dortmund.
Referee Sascha Stegemann admitted that he was “really annoyed” by the mistake as he failed to use the video assistant referee system in that play. The play in question took place in the middle portion of the second half when Bochum defender Danilo Soares brought down Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi inside the penalty zone. Stegemann added that the VAR did not tell him to consult the screen and review the play. For their part, the DFB’s referee department agreed with Stegemann and said that the TV pictures prove the incident was a foul and a penalty. The head of the department even pointed out that the decision could have been made without the need of VAR.
After the match, Dortmund manager Edin Terzic said the decision was a “key moment” that can deny his side a chance to win their first title in 11 years. Team sporting director Sebastian Kehl agreed with Terzic, saying that the referee decided the outcome of the match. The draw may haunt Dortmund in the latter stages of the tournament where points will be vital to decide the winner of this year’s Bundesliga. The match could also prove costly for soccer picks and parlays who bet on a possible Dortmund title run this season.
