Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's 19-year-old, made the Champions League a spectacle when he invented a dribble that combined the classic flip-flap with a rabona, creating what he himself called a “media rabona.” The play, executed in the second half against Galatasaray, became the highlight of the match and the first record of a movement never before seen in the competition.
The context of the game was a Barcelona that was looking to consolidate its position in the group stage after a defeat against Getafe, where the official statistics of the League showed that Yamal did not make a single dribble, nor even attempted one. This lack of creativity in the previous match made the player feel motivated to demonstrate his ability in the Champions League. When coach Xabi Alonso asked him if he could remain in the eleven, Yamal asked not to be changed, which gave him the opportunity to shine in the second half.
During the 48 minutes he played, Yamal showed a series of ingenious moves. The most notable play occurred near the baseline, when the striker approached the Galatasaray goal and, with a touch of rabona, changed the direction of the ball and sent it on a killer pass to Gerard Piqué. The movement combined an elastic, the traditional flip-flap and the rabona, creating a visual effect that looked like a “rubber band.” According to Yamal, the objective of the trick is to deceive the opponent on which side he is going to pass, using the outside of the foot and a quick movement of the ankle to disorient the defender.
The young forward explained in an interview with CBS Sports to Titi Henry that dribbling is a tool he uses to confuse defenders and that, when executed with rabona, the unpredictability of the movement increases. Yamal, who grew up imitating Ronaldinho and Neymar, has been practicing these types of plays in training and has now taken them to the biggest stage in European football.
With this performance, Yamal not only demonstrated his individual talent, but also reinforced Barcelona's reputation as a creative force in the Champions League. The club and its followers hope that the young man continues to innovate and that the “media rabona” dribble becomes a new reference for future players. The next phase of the tournament will present the opportunity for Yamal and Barcelona to turn their creativity into decisive results.