In the match between Barcelona and Mallorca in round 16 of La Liga, midfielder Lamine Yamal returned to the starting lineup. In the 4 matches that the Spanish star was absent, Hansi Flick's team lost 3 times. Most recently, Barcelona lost 1-2 to Las Palmas in the previous round.
Yamal returned and immediately made his mark with an assist, helping Barcelona beat Mallorca 5-1. This result helped the Camp Nou team maintain a 4-point gap with the 2nd-placed Real Madrid.
After the match, coach Hansi Flick acknowledged Yamal's importance: "He is very important, he can create a lot for the team. We know his quality and we really need Yamal's presence."
At just 17 years old, Lamine Yamal is making rapid progress. He has gone from a promising young star to a leading pillar of Barcelona in just one short year. This season, Yamal has scored 5 goals and 8 assists in 14 La Liga matches.
Coach Flick also did not forget to encourage other Barcelona players: "But it's not just Yamal who plays well. I always talk about the central defenders, because they don't always have an easy time playing.
“Pedri in midfield, Raphinha and Torres who scored. Gavi did very well today when he came on. Eric Garcia is back and gives us more options.”
