A remarkable statistic, highlighting the creative excellence of a leading member of the midfield ranks at La Liga outfit Villarreal, has come to the fore late on Monday.
The player in question? Álex Baena.
Midfielder/winger Baena has for his part long been making a name for himself as one of the standout creative talents in all of Spanish football.
A wonderfully-talented operator boasting vision, touch and final ball, the 23-year-old was rewarded for his excellence last season by way of an inclusion in Spain’s triumphant squad at Euro 2024.
And Baena, since, has only continued to add to his reputation.
Introduced off the bench in Villarreal’s La Liga meeting with Las Palmas on Monday night, the Spanish international notched both a goal and an assist.
Owing to the latter, Baena took his tally for the current campaign to an impressive tally of five.
Even more head-turning, though, is the fact that he has now managed a total of 19 assists since the beginning of the 2023/24 La Liga season.
This is as many as Barcelona and Real Madrid stars Lamine Yamal and Vinícius Jr. have racked up, combined, across the same period.
Conor Laird – GSFN
