Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images
Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images
Manchester United’s left-back target Lewis Hall found himself 1v1 against Lamine Yamal in two games last season.
Lewis Hall played a part in Newcastle United’s Champions League campaign and played home and away against Barcelona.
On paper, Newcastle lost 8-3 on aggregate to the Spanish side and Lamine Yamal scored two of those goals.
But Hall was hardly to blame for his side’s performance, and his individual statistics against Yamal were actually fairly impressive.
FC Barcelona v Newcastle United FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg
Photo by Judit Cartiel – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
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Lewis Hall 1v1 against Lamine Yamal
In the first leg at St James’ Park, Newcastle drew 1-1 with Barcelona and Yamal only etched his name on the scoresheet through a 96th-minute penalty.
Hall played the full match up against Yamal on the wing, and his defensive stats prove he has the capability to lock up the world’s best players.
In the second leg, Newcastle collapsed at Camp Nou, but Hall still picked up an early assist for Carrington graduate Anthony Elanga and was able to keep Yamal quiet.
Any narrative that Hall was bullied in the Champions League is false. The 21-year-old actually stepped up to a new level in that competition and stood his ground against the world’s brightest attacking talent.
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Lewis Hall can bring Champions League experience to Man Utd
Michael Carrick has brought Champions League football back to Old Trafford, and now it is up to the Red Devils to build a squad capable of competing in Europe.
United are interested in Hall as the long-term successor to Luke Shaw, and a bonus is that he already has experience in the Champions League.
READ MORE: The most expensive full-backs ever and the record Man Utd could need to break to sign Lewis Hall
Hall is expected to cost £60m this summer, although Newcastle do insist he is not for sale.
But if United are serious about adding top talent to this squad, then Hall has to be the top target at left-back.