Fouled almost 50 times: Barcelona attacking wizard leads La Liga in assists despite rough treatment

Despite not finding the back of the net, Lamine Yamal produced yet another excellent performance as Barcelona secured a 2-0 win over Las Palmas last night.

The young attacker proved to be a nightmare for the Las Palmas defenders, as he wriggled his way through in the final third, drawing the attention of the opposition backline.

However, while playing his natural game, Yamal also drew a series of fouls – something that has become commonplace in La Liga this season.

It was evident against Las Palmas as well, as he notably bruised his foot thanks to some tight marking and challenges from the defenders. Despite looking visibly discomforted, the referees decided against awarding any foul.

Yamal has been fouled almost 50 times

As reported by Diario SPORT, Yamal’s dazzling dribbling and ability to beat his man with ease have made him a frequent target for opposition defenders.

So far in La Liga this season, he has been fouled 48 times, ranking him fourth among the most fouled players.

Only Pape Gueye (Villarreal) and Uche (Getafe), both with 51, and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior (49) have suffered more.

Despite a slow start, Yamal was one of the top performers for Barcelona against Las Palmas (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

However, Yamal’s ranking might have been even higher if referees had been more consistent in calling fouls on him.

The teenager often opts to keep going despite being held or clipped, rather than going down at the first contact.

Despite the rough treatment, Yamal remains one of the most effective playmakers in La Liga. He leads the league in assists with 12, creating numerous chances for his teammates.

Against Las Palmas, he provided yet another key assist, setting up Dani Olmo for Barcelona’s second goal of the night. Despite a slow start, the winger finished the game as one of the team’s top performers.

The only thing left for the youngster to do is to score a goal, as the player has not scored in La Liga in four months. His last goal came in the 4-1 win rout over arch-rivals Real Madrid.