The driving pressure for Spain in its conquest of Euro 2024 got here in the course of the sphere with Rodri. Nevertheless, the tip product centered on two gamers on both wing, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. Yamal emerged as a star regardless of being 17 years previous. He has proven his capacity with Barcelona, however doing so on the European Championship stage was a special job. Nico Williams, enjoying on the left wing, was an electrical dribbler who scored a pair of objectives. That was sufficient to court docket the curiosity of Barcelona to pair the 2 up at membership degree.
Within the Catalan membership’s eyes, there could be no cause the 2 can’t repeat their successes from Germany on the membership degree. The one difficulty is bringing Nico Williams to the aspect. Lamine Yamal is an academy graduate who is able to commit his future to the aspect. Nico Williams performs for Athletic Membership, however Barcelona is able to pull the set off to carry him to Catalonia. Barcelona stays assured in signing Williams as he stays their high switch goal. But, Athletic Membership supervisor Ernesto Valverde needs Nico Williams as the important thing to the longer term.
The long run is an space that Barcelona needs Williams for, too. Gone are the times of the Catalan membership spending an excessive amount of cash on large names. Nico Williams could be a younger participant who can develop with the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal. Regardless of solely bursting onto the stage at Euro 2024, Nico Williams could be the oldest of that younger crop of Barcelona stars at 22. That youth could be pivotal to future success at Barcelona.
Williams and Yamal could be high winger duo at Barcelona
Furthermore, there isn’t a cause to see why it could not work. With Spain, Luis de la Fuente used Nico Williams on the left and Lamine Yamal on the precise. Their capacity as dribblers and crossers allowed Spain to advance the ball shortly and successfully. Trendy statistics makes use of one space known as progressive carries. It helps measure situations when a participant dribbles the ball greater than 5 yards within the opponent’s half. Nico Williams was joint-top of all progressive carriers at Euro 2024 with 32 in six video games. Lamine Yamal had a formidable 31 in seven video games. This reveals that down either side, Spain had somebody to advance possession.
Hansi Flick would deploy the 2 in the identical means if he had the choice. With Williams down the left and Yamal down the precise, Flick would have the ability to unfold the play out. With Bayern Munich, that typically resorted to wing-backs. Alphonso Davies, one other pacy possibility with the power to get harmful balls into the center, labored down the left. Benjamin Pavard typically most popular defensive work, however he nonetheless marauded ahead when known as upon.
Williams and Yamal could be way more attacking and direct for Barcelona. Whereas one might carve down his aspect, the opposite would make a darting run into an open space. Take the opening aim of the Euro 2024 last. Lamine Yamal’s mazy run across the England protection ultimately allowed Nico Williams to discover a pocket of area. Yamal picked Williams out with a easy cross, and Williams scored. The character of the 2’s dribbling capacity makes attacking simpler. Moreover, it frees up the opposite to make extra off-the-ball runs.
Becoming with a central striker
Dribbling is flashy and thrilling, nevertheless it is probably not an important a part of their video games for Barcelona. A aspect that has historically used passing as a way for achievement can now look to crossing. The problem subsequently is discovering the precise central striker. For Spain, that was Alvaro Morata, who admittedly had a quiet event. Regardless, contemplate the 2 wingers’ knack for slicing onto their favored foot and lobbing a ball into the center of the field. Yamal’s three assists earlier than the ultimate got here from left-footed crosses on the precise aspect of the sphere to gamers within the field. One was a looping ball to the again publish, one was a cross to the close to publish and the third was a cross throughout the field the place Dani Olmo got here operating in.
Barcelona will doubtless get yet another robust season out of Robert Lewandowski. His successor might be Fermin Lopez, who performed as a striker for Barcelona in his maiden season final marketing campaign. Nevertheless, Hansi Flick might need a stronger, extra bodily choice to be on the tip of the work of Williams and Yamal at Barcelona. They’ll ship success for greater than a decade, as Euro 2024 supplied a touch of.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
Loading…
