Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal impresses during full La Liga debut | OneFootball

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Lamine Yamal has become the youngest-ever player to start a La Liga game in the 21st century, and he did not disappoint with a dazzling display against Cadiz.

The 16-year-old showed off his quality during the 2-0 win with an electric performance, consistently beating his man and getting the ball into the area.

Barcelona were only able to play out a 0-0 draw in their opening La Liga fixture of the season in the previous week against Getafe. The away fixture saw two red cards but no goals.

A first home game of the season saw the Catalan giants frustrated for the majority of the game, with the scoreline locked at 0-0 once again until the final 10 minutes when Pedri netted the club's first goal of the league season.

The aforementioned red card to Raphinha in the previous game left a space in the starting XI open, with Yamal filling in on the right wing while the Brazilian was absent.

Former Manchester City winger, Ferran Torres, found the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time to put the game to bed for good, with all three points being earned.

Xavi is not afraid to give young players a chance, as the Spanish manager highlighted in his post-match press conference as he said, per Forbes: "We see him train, he does a good job, and he can make a difference."

Who is Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal?

The youngster was brought up through the famous 'La Masia' youth system that is well known for developing talents such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi - the current manager. The most recent cases of players graduating from the club's youth setup come in the form of Pedri and Gavi, who are now household names within the global game.

Born in July 2007, Yamal has only recently turned 16, and is already a firm option within Xavi's plans moving forward based on recent evidence. The teenager became the youngest player to ever appear in a league game for Barcelona back in April when his manager brought him on as a late substitute in a 4-0 win over Real Betis.

Following that game, Xavi was full of praise for the young man as he went on to say, per the Daily Mail: "I told him to try things and he did. At 15 years old, just imagine it... He is special and could have even scored tonight."

That was not all the Spaniard said either, as he continued: "He played with confidence, and he showed what he is about. He has no fear and bags of talent. Some of his passes in the final third were really good."

The confidence and lack of fear were more than apparent in the recent game against Cadiz as Yamal was full of energy and did not look like backing down from a challenge.

Lamine Yamal stars in full debut for Barcelona

Yamal's highlights reel from the Cadiz match show he has a huge future ahead of him with his play style reminiscent of a Premier League star.

The way in which the 16-year-old was more than happy to be direct and run at any player in front of him was very similar to Bukayo Saka of Arsenal. Not only can Yamal cut inside onto his stronger left foot in order to pick a pass or get a cross delivered into the area, he is more than capable of getting to the byline to cross into the penalty area.

His pace and fast feet make it very difficult for an opposing defender to stick a foot in, especially as they are backing into their own penalty box with the risk of conceding a dangerous foul growing with every step.

The youngster could have had a goal and an assist in the opening 45 minutes if only his teammate showed more composure when getting on the end of a pinpoint delivery, with a left-footed shot also expertly tipped around the post by the opposition goalkeeper.

He did everything right when played through on goal in the inside right channel, as he guided the ball towards the bottom corner of the net, with the keeper at full stretch to tip the effort wide of the post.

Following a similar pattern to the first period, the second half saw even more direct dribbling to cause many problems for the Cadiz back line with a strong attempt on his left foot beaten away again after getting past his marker with relative ease.

Not only is the speed of his feet an impressive feature of the youngster's game, but also the speed of thought as he appears to know exactly what is in front of him and what the best solution is before it even comes to carrying out the action.

It is not just a case of Yamal being a player that dribbles with the ball in an impressive manner, but the Spanish Under-19 international is also willing to pick out a teammate when that is a better option, whereas other players in a similar mould would tend to try and do too much by themselves.

This shows a maturity in his game that is very rare for a player at his age, and if managed well, could be promising for Barcelona's future.

An impressive full debut for the club came to an end after 85 minutes, with his side holding a one-goal advantage as he exited the field of play to a standing ovation. It is likely he will be in contention for a start in the next game against Villarreal.

What next for Barcelona and Yamal?

As already mentioned, a trip to the 'Yellow Submarine' is next on the agenda for the Catalonian side, before a further away game, against Osasuna, sees the first part of the season come to a close as the first international break will be upon us.

Yamal will be hoping to continue in the absence of Raphinha for the upcoming fixtures in order to keep his confidence and good form at a high level. At this rate, it may even be difficult for the Brazilian to earn his way back into the team if his young understudy continues to catch the eye.