Surprise! Lamine Yamal was a substitute for Barça after 24 consecutive starts

Hansi Flick continues to manage the Barça squad intelligently with the long term and the demanding calendar that Barcelona faces in mind, with crucial matches in LaLiga and the Champions League ahead.

The absence of Lamine Yamal in the starting eleven was the main novelty of the match against Celta de Vigo. The German coach decided to protect the young culé star, giving him a rest after 24 consecutive starts. Lamine started the match of matchday 32 of LaLiga as a substitute after having played 92.7% of the possible minutes since the beginning of the year.

Lamine Yamal substitute: Reasons for the rest against Celta

Accumulation of minutes: Coach Hansi Flick explained before the match that the decision to leave Lamine on the bench is due to the large number of minutes accumulated by the 17-year-old in recent months. Flick pointed out that the winger's absence in the starting eleven should not be surprising, as he had been playing practically everything for four months and it was necessary to give him a break to avoid the risk of fatigue or injury.

• Physical and mental management: Flick stressed that, beyond the names, the essential thing was to secure the three points and responsibly manage the team's human resources, prioritizing the physical and mental well-being of its key players, such as Lamine Yamal.

• No injury: Lamine's substitution is not due to any physical problem or injury, but only to a technical decision to dose efforts after a series of matches always being a starter.

Lamine has played practically everything

Lamine Yamal had started in the previous 24 matches in which he was available since the beginning of 2025, covering matches in La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey and Supercopa. Therefore, until the match against Celta, he had been more than three months without ceasing to be a starter in any match in which he was available.

During this period, he played 92.7% of the possible minutes, which shows the coaching staff's confidence in his performance and the importance he has in the team's scheme. His last substitution was in the first match of 2025, in the Copa del Rey against Barbastro.

Ferran Torres took his place in the starting XI

For the match against Celta, Ferran Torres took the place in the starting eleven, accompanied in the attack by Raphinha and Lewandowski. Lamine Yamal was on the bench and was expected to have minutes in the second half if the match required it.

It is a decision that has a certain logic seeing the fatigue, the failure he has had in the last two matches and especially looking at the final of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid.

The question was to know how Flick was going to place the players: if the Brazilian maintained his place and Ferran Torres turned to the right or Raphinha replaced Lamine Yamal and the Valencian played on the other wing.

Impact of Lamine Yamal on Barça's performance

Lamine talks with Raphinha (Barcelona v Celta)

Lamine Yamal is currently a fundamental piece in the offensive and collective scheme of FC Barcelona. His absence has a direct and noticeable impact on the team's performance, both in results and in play.

• Loss of imbalance and creativity: Lamine Yamal stands out for his speed, dribbling and ability for one-on-one situations, which allows Barça to overflow defenses and generate scoring chances. Without him, the team loses that spark and creativity that opens spaces and facilitates offensive play.

• Difficulty overcoming rival pressures: In matches where Yamal is not present, Barça has shown difficulties in playing out from the back and overcoming the high pressure of rivals, resorting to less effective long balls.

• Decrease in offensive fluidity: The team usually shows less fluidity and solutions in attack, evidencing a dependence on Yamal's talent and vision to create danger. Impact on results.

Negative results without Yamal

Barcelona has suffered draws and defeats in key matches when Lamine has not been a starter, such as the 2-2 draw against Celta de Vigo and the defeat against Osasuna (4-2), even when Yamal entered in the second half and scored, it was not enough to reverse the result.

Perfect record with Yamal as a starter: With Lamine Yamal in the starting eleven, Barça maintains a perfect record in LaLiga, with 11 wins in 11 matches, which shows his direct influence on the collective performance.

Lamine brings leadership and emotional factor

Beyond the tactical, Yamal brings leadership and confidence to the team. His presence elevates the level of his teammates and brings determination in difficult moments. Without him, the team has lacked that spark and ability to react to adversity.

Statistics and dependence of Barcelona on Lamine Yamal

Participation in goals: Lamine Yamal has participated in 22.6% of Barcelona's goals this season, with 12 goals and 17 assists in 37 matches, which underlines his weight in the team's offensive production.

Worrying dependence: Yamal's absence exposes a dependence that, although positive for his quality, also reveals the team's limitations to maintain consistency without him. The coaching staff must look for alternatives to not depend exclusively on a single player.

In short, the absence of Lamine Yamal significantly reduces the offensive potential, creativity and reaction capacity of FC Barcelona, affecting both the game and the results of the team