With Barcelona struggling to find a way to break a 1–1 draw against Real Sociedad over the weekend, Lamine Yamal entered the game. A minute later, he assisted Barcelona’s second goal and eventual game-winner.
Yamal made his first appearance for Barcelona in a little under a month after a groin injury sidelined him from four matches.
On a night that started with Yamal raising his recently awarded second straight Kopa Trophy to the fans in attendance at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, the 18-year-old made sure to end it by igniting Barcelona’s comeback to go top of La Liga.
Despite missing three of Barça’s seven league games this term, Yamal has five goal involvements already and is just one assist behind Vinícius Júnior for the most in Spain’s top flight this season.
After the match, praise rained down on Barça’s No. 10 following his return to the pitch.
“Happy to have him back, we’re all happy to have him back,” Flick said after the game. “He showed it directly, his outstanding strength he has, really to create chances but also to give the last pass. It’s good to have him back.”
But Flick wasn’t the only one that praised Yamal. Real Sociedad manager Sergio Francisco recognized Yamal’s introduction changed the game sharing his feelings toward Barça’s superstar afterwards.
“His [Yamal] presence on the pitch alone is a threat. When he has the ball I think, even when adding fresh players on the pitch to defend him, he proves every day, I’d say, [he’s] the best player in the world,” Francisco said.
“Happy to have him back, we’re all happy to have him back,” Flick said after the game. “He showed it directly, his outstanding strength he has, really to create chances but also to give the last pass. It’s good to have him back.”
But Flick wasn’t the only one that praised Yamal. Real Sociedad manager Sergio Francisco recognized Yamal’s introduction changed the game sharing his feelings toward Barça’s superstar afterwards.
“His [Yamal] presence on the pitch alone is a threat. When he has the ball I think, even when adding fresh players on the pitch to defend him, he proves every day, I’d say, [he’s] the best player in the world,” Francisco said.
“Happy to have him back, we’re all happy to have him back,” Flick said after the game. “He showed it directly, his outstanding strength he has, really to create chances but also to give the last pass. It’s good to have him back.”
But Flick wasn’t the only one that praised Yamal. Real Sociedad manager Sergio Francisco recognized Yamal’s introduction changed the game sharing his feelings toward Barça’s superstar afterwards.
“His [Yamal] presence on the pitch alone is a threat. When he has the ball I think, even when adding fresh players on the pitch to defend him, he proves every day, I’d say, [he’s] the best player in the world,” Francisco said.
“It’s a pleasure to see him on the pitch, we didn’t know if he was going to be able to play today. He came practically in his first action he generated that assist. A player that was totally determined and in the game.”
The expectation is Yamal will be ready to make his first start in over a month and be a difference maker when Barcelona host reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in their second game of the Champions League league phase on Wednesday night.
Barcelona have confirmed that Lamine Yamal is fit and available for the club’s La Liga clash with Real Sociedad on Sunday evening amid some mixed injury news for Hansi Flick’s side.
The freshly crowned Kopa Trophy winner has missed Barcelona’s previous four matches with a groin injury he sustained after playing through pain on international duty with Spain. Flick has done little to hide his fury with Luis de la Fuente—who couldn’t care less—and has adopted a far more cautious approach with the talented teenager.
The wait is now over. A little over six hours before Barcelona host Real Sociedad at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, the club released a short statement triumphantly declaring that Yamal “has been medically cleared” and would be included in Sunday’s squad.
Yamal had teased his return on social media over the weekend although Flick would not be drawn on whether the youngster was fit enough to start three weeks on from his previous competitive appearance.
The return of Barcelona’s Ballon d’Or runner-up has come just in time for an increasingly injury-ravaged squad. As the club warned after the midweek victory over Real Oviedo, star forward Raphinha and first-choice goalkeeper Joan García are both out.
Raphinha is predicted to be sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring problem while García could be kept out of action for twice as long after sustaining a meniscus injury which will require surgery.
Left back Alejandro Balde was expected to return alongside Yamal for Sunday’s game but didn’t make the squad.
That decision—and Yamal’s role as starter or substitute—could be impacted by Barcelona’s enormous Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain next week.
The Catalans host the reigning European champions on Wednesday in one of the most intriguing ties across the entire slate of league phase fixtures. PSG are enduring their own spate of injuries which will only make Yamal’s return all the less palatable.
