Comparing any young player to Lionel Messi is one of the biggest compliments in football, and Didi Hamann believes Bayern Munich teenager Lennart Karl has already shown enough to make the comparison a reasonable one — at least in terms of playing style, so do not grab your torches and pitchforks just yet Messi Nation.
Hamann was quick to stress that the comparison is not about claiming Karl will reach Messi’s legendary level. Instead, it is about the similarities in how the 18-year-old approaches
the game.
“I think he’s an exceptional player. To do what he did at 18 years of age is sensational. Michael Ballack looks after him, and I spoke to him a year ago and asked him, ‘How good is the kid?’ He said, ‘I don’t know. He’s very good, but you only find out when they play.’ And he played, and boy, did he play,” Hamann told Thunderpick. “Before Christmas, he really carried the Bayern Munich offense. Harry Kane was a bit quiet, Michael Olise was a bit quiet, and he did all the stuff, creating and scoring goals.
“I think if you see him play, he’s left-footed, has a low center of gravity, and he’s not the tallest. The way he moves, the way he drops the shoulder, I think it’s a fair comparison. Nobody says he’s going to be as good as (Messi), because Messi has been at the top of the echelon for 15 years. But if you watch a clip of Messi at 17 or 18 and put his clips next to it, I think you see a lot of similarities.”
What has also impressed observers the most is Karl’s confidence on the ball, creativity in tight spaces, and willingness to take responsibility in the final third. Those are qualities that made him stand out during his breakout run and are part of why Hamann sees shades of a young Messi in his game.
Karl finished his first season with nine goals and eight assists in 40 games across all competitions. By all accounts, it was a massive success. Everyone knows that being the next Messi is not likely in the cards for Karl (or probably anyone else), but there is no reason for the kid to stop dreaming at this point.
If Karl can get fully healthy and build on the incredible foundation he has already laid, Bayern Munich may have another special talent on its hands.
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