Thauvin outshines Lamine Yamal in European creative efficiency

Florian Thauvin, 33, joined Ligue 1 with Lens and, from the start of the season, a statistic puts him ahead of Lamine Yamal, favorite for the next Ballon d’Or, in European creative efficiency.

Assists per 90 minutes

Among players who have played at least 500 minutes in one of the five major leagues, Thauvin provides exactly one assist every 90 minutes, an unmatched ratio. No other player shows such a level of productivity.

Marco Grüll follows with 0.84 assists per match, while Lamine Yamal completes the podium with 0.73. These figures confirm Thauvin's superiority in this area.

In creating big chances, Thauvin generates 1.19 major opportunities every 90 minutes, placing him third in Europe behind Yamal and Arda Güler. This ability far exceeds his mere goals or set pieces.

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His performances show an influence that is not measured solely by goal contributions. They highlight a central role in building decisive actions for Lens.

Thauvin has crossed the 100-goal mark in Ligue 1 and, since the 2012‑2013 season, he has amassed 56 assists and 601 successful dribbles in the French Championship. He thus outpaces Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Ludovic Blas in the number of dribbles.

His return to Lens could have seemed the last big challenge of an already rich career, but at 33 he produces some of the best creative statistics in Europe, reminding that his technical quality has never vanished.

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These numbers make Thauvin an indispensable creator for Lens this season, reinforcing his role as an offensive pillar.