He just scored a work of art against Eintracht. Only Sancho scored his first 12 Bundesliga goals at a younger age.
Diomande celebrates a goal with Leipzig.
Anyone who has ever played FIFA (now EA FC) or Pro Evolution Soccer (now eFootball) has likely tried to pull off impossible moves that only make sense in video games. Yet Yan Diomande (Abdijan, Ivory Coast, 2006) scored a goal against Eintracht that is rarely seen in real life.
Not even half an hour into the match, with the score still tied, he invented a play that existed only in his mind: he picked up the ball on the right wing, cut inside diagonally, shrugged off four opponents, pulled the handbrake to set himself up for a shot with his right foot, and curled the ball into the far post, nestling it against the base of the upright past Zetterer. It felt like he was playing against children.
“What’s special is that he doesn’t need big feints. At 19, he has a great understanding of the game. He knows where the space is and doesn’t have to do much to create it,” Ole Werner reflected after the match regarding Yan Diomande, who is also proving to be a “can opener.” With this latest goal against Eintracht, it’s the fifth time he has opened the scoring this season. Only Guirassy (6) surpasses the former Leganés man in this regard. “If this continues, all doors are open for him,” he emphasized.
At 19, he has a great understanding of the game.
— Ole Werner, RB Leipzig coach
To be honest, this is far from the first time Yan Diomande has scored a goal of this nature. In an era where profiles capable of unlocking static defenses are scarce, the Ivorian has plenty of keys to open any door. In fact, six of his 12 Bundesliga goals — only Sancho reached that mark faster — have come after a dribble. In Germany, only one winger — his teammate Nusa — averages more take-ons lost (1.71) per game. But this Leipzig side is happy to live with that.
That’s not all: he is the second player in the Bundesliga with the most dribbles (304), the most progressive meters (3,452), and the most chances created via this route (28). Five of those have ended in assists. He certainly shares the imaginative profile with Jadon. However, although he also prefers to “destroy” by receiving the ball to feet, he has a much superior physical base to the Englishman… being the ninth fastest winger in the German championship (35.7 km/h).
Radar of Yan Diomande (Bundesliga 25-26) — DRIBLAB PRO
“We are happy to have him in our team and not have to face him,” confessed Ridle Baku, his partner on the right flank of this Leipzig. “We try as often as possible to get him into situations where he can change the game in our favor,” emphasized the former Wolfsburg man about Yan Diomande, who, with four matchdays to go, is already the second Under-21 player in Europe’s top five leagues with the most goal contributions (19). Only a prodigy like Lamine Yamal (28) is ahead.
In a few days, specifically on May 4, it will be a year since that fateful miss at the Sánchez-Pizjuán, which, who knows, could have meant salvation for Leganés. “Criticism is part of football, whether positive or negative; it doesn’t bother me,” he said about the insults he received. Today, he is the cornerstone on which Leipzig is building its return to the Champions League after a season without European competitions.
