BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona coach Hansi Flick addressed the late-game substitution of Lamine Yamal during the team’s 2-1 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday, downplaying the young player’s reaction.
Yamal was substituted in the 89th minute for Roony Bardghji, leaving the pitch with a serious demeanor and appearing to express frustration to himself. He maintained a glum expression upon returning to the bench.
“We took off Lamine because he received a booking and it was late in the game,” Flick explained. “If he showed some annoyance, I completely understand and appreciate it. I was a player too. It’s entirely acceptable and not a concern.”
Yamal received a yellow card in the 56th minute for a foul, which means he will miss the upcoming Champions League match.
He was instrumental in Barcelona’s comeback, providing the assist for Jules Koundé‘s second goal in the 53rd minute, turning the tide after Frankfurt initially took the lead in the 21st minute. Koundé also scored in the 50th minute.
At just 18 years old, Yamal has set a record for most goal involvements—goals and assists—by a player under 19 in Champions League history, accumulating 14 (seven goals and seven assists), surpassing Kylian Mbappé‘s previous record of 13.
“It’s fantastic to see Jules scoring… his talent and mindset are crucial for the team,” Flick noted.
Koundé expressed that it was “fun” to contribute significantly to the attack during the match. “My primary responsibility is to defend well, so I must find balance,” he stated. “Against teams with a five-man defense, like Frankfurt who sat deep, I needed to exploit the spaces behind, which I managed to do successfully with those two goals.”
This win marked the fifth consecutive match in which Barcelona conceded first, but they have managed to turn the situation around in their last four outings.
With this victory, Barcelona climbed to 14th place, trailing by just two points from the eighth position in the competition’s league phase.
Flick expressed satisfaction with the team’s resilience, saying, “I’m really pleased with how we made a comeback; however, it would be beneficial to start strong and score first as well. But it is what it is.”