One of the burning questions in football at the moment should be – if it already isn't – what is going on with Lamine Yamal?The kid who was touted as Lionel Messi's successor two years ago, when he broke into Barcelona's first team and sparked magic all over the stadiums in Germany as Spain won the 2024 European Championship, is now a mere shadow of the player he once was.Has the pressure he's been dealing with since he was 16 finally broken him? Is this just a simple dip in form or a serious crisis the youngster is facing for the first time in his career?BETTING GUIDE: Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano, match preview, team news and predictionAfter a stellar April, during which he recorded three goals and two assists in five La Liga and Champions League games, Yamal sustained a thigh injury that sidelined him for nearly two months, with Spain's World Cup opener against Cabo Verde in mid-June marking his first match back.Nevertheless, it was evident that – due to the injury setback or something else – he wasn't the same player he used to be.Shock after final: Yamal's villa targeted by burglarsIn La Roja's second group-stage clash, against Saudi Arabia, he opened the scoring, and that's when his calvary began.Since that showdown in Atlanta, Yamal has gone eight consecutive games for club and country without finding the net – or, to be more precise, he's been goalless for 741 minutes!The goal against the Saudis was his only one at the 2026 World Cup, while the start of the new La Liga campaign and clashes against Elche and Athletic Bilbao didn't help him break the curse, even though Barca scored seven goals in total.Lamine Yamal has not scored for club or country for his last eight games 😬❌ pic.twitter.com/aw41SWP13S— OneFootball (@OneFootball) August 29, 2026 This eight-game goal drought is by far the longest in Yamal's career – or at least its post-2024 EURO era, when he broke through and became a global superstar.Tonight, Barca face Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou (22.30) in what will be another chance for the 19-year-old to finally get off the mark.If it doesn't happen soon, both Yamal and the public will have to admit that something is wrong.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 3FridayRacing Santander – Elche 3-2 (3-0)/Zabiri 15, 21, 36 – Sangare 78, Nino 79/Alaves – Villarreal 1-0 (1-0)/Boye 31/SaturdayLevante – Real Betis 5-2 (2-2)/Dela 24, Bardeli 45+1, Brugue 56, 70, Olasagasti 90+5 – Bartra 34, Riquelme 45+4/Real Sociedad – Espanyol 2-1 (1-1)/Barrenetxea 4, Oskarsson 61 – Fernandez Jaen 45/Sevilla – Atletico Madrid 1-3 (0-3)/Sierra 66 – Baena 4, 33, Lookman 26/SundayReal Madrid – Malaga 4-0 (3-0)/Bellingham 19, Herrero 26 og, Mbappe 30, Guler 90+1/Deportivo A Coruna – Valencia 3-1 (2-1)/Tarrega 13 og, Aubameyang 17, Diakhaby 59 og – Sadiq 26/Celta Vigo – Athletic Bilbao 0-2 (0-2)/Berenguer 20, Navarro 22/Monday20.30: (2.25) Osasuna (3.10) Getafe (3.50)22.30: (1.18) Barcelona (7.75) Rayo Vallecano (13.0)***odds are subject to change***
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