In the recently concluded La Liga match, FC Barcelona defeated RCD Mallorca 3-0 with goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Bernal. After the game, Johan Mojica, Mallorca's full-back, stated in an interview that despite the heavy defeat, he was still proud of his duels with Yamal.
“Lamine Yamal never beat me in a dribble at any moment; I won all the one-on-one duels. When he cut inside, that became a task for team defense. He has the talent for assists and shots, so we have to conduct self-criticism.”
However, the Colombian player's remarks are in stark contrast to the reality. First of all, the match itself: Yamal does not need to win every one-on-one dribble to influence Mallorca's defensive plan and speed up the game from his flank. His movements forced the opponents to constantly provide defensive cover, thus creating space for the overlapping runs of Hansi Flick's players.
The second point is even more convincing: statistics. Because Yamal has taken dribbling as his way of dominating the game. According to the data released this season, the Barcelona winger leads the way in successful dribbles among Europe's top five leagues.
This is the key to the contrast: Mojica claims he "won the one-on-one duels", but even on nights when Yamal does not outplay his opponent in every one-on-one, he is still the player with the most successful dribbles in Europe's top leagues. In other words, although the full-back may have felt good in some confrontations, Yamal's influence still exists, because it does not rely on a single dribble, but on his persistent threat and ability to attract defensive players.
Finally, Mojica ended his speech with a remark that was consistent with the result: "We have to conduct self-criticism", which is probably the most honest interpretation after the game.
