BARCELONA — Barcelona coach Hansi Flick minimized Lamine Yamal’s reaction to being substituted near the end of his team’s 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Yamal was replaced by Roony Bardghji in the 89th minute of the league stage match. He walked off the field with a serious expression and seemed to mumble something. He also didn’t look happy after returning to the bench.
“He had a bronco gesture, but he had a yellow (card) and we needed fresh legs,” acknowledged the strategist. “It’s not a problem. It’s what it is. I understand him. Everyone wants to play and he believes he can play 100 minutes. He’s young. It’s a good attitude. I have no problems. I was a player too. I accept it.”
Yamal received a yellow card in the 56th minute for a foul and will miss the next Champions League match.
His cross led to Jules Koundé’s second goal in the 53rd to give Barcelona the victory after coming back after the visitors took the lead in the 21st. Koundé also scored in the 50th.
The 18-year-old Yamal has had more involvement in goals – assists and goals – than any other player under the age of 19 in the history of the Champions League from the group stage or league stage to the final, according to UEFA. He has 14 – seven goals and seven assists, one more participation than Kylian Mbappé’s previous record of 13 – ten goals and three assists.
“I didn’t expect it. His mentality is important for us,” Flick said of Koundé. “But I am very happy.”
Koundé thought it was “fun” to make many forays into the attack on Tuesday.
It was the fifth consecutive game in which Barcelona conceded the first goal. He bounced back to win his last four games.
The victory moved Barcelona to 14th place, two points off eighth place in the league stage of the competition.
