FC Barcelona beat Alavés in Vitoria (0-3) in a day where all the headlines went to Robert Lewandowski. The Pole, author of a hat-trick, overshadowed his two teammates in the Barça trident, especially Lamine Yamal who, for the second consecutive game, was unable to score or assist, unlike Raphinha who was also stellar with couple of assists. The '19', in fact, was the only one to be replaced in the complement, at which he could not hide his anger.
Hansi Flick chose to give minutes to Ansu Fati, taking advantage of the slack score and the team's lethargy in the second half. Lamine left with a serious expression and barely greeted the coach before sitting on the bench. He remained there without saying a word, visibly angry during the final stretch of the crash. In total, the youth completed 13 of 15 passes (87%), with 4 successful dribbles in 7 attempts, but only 1 of 4 duels won. Beyond some quality details, it was certainly not his best afternoon.
Second consecutive substitution for Lamine, new anger
On Tuesday, against Young Boys (5-0), the '19' also came out looking grim in the 75th minute of a match where he was not 'fine' in attack either. Asked about the reaction of the youth player and Robert Lewandowski himself, who has also been replaced in 6 of 11 games played this season, Hansi Flick avoided the controversy in the press conference prior to the duel against Alavés, making clear his intention to dose the loads in such a demanding schedule.
"It's normal for them to get angry if you change them. Everyone wants to play 90 minutes. But things were as they were and changes had to be made. I make decisions and they accept them. Lamine's attitude is very positive," commented the one from Heidelberg. For Yamal, more than the coach's decision to change him, his anger comes from not having completed good performances against the Swiss and Vitorians. The winger scored a great goal coming off the bench at El Sadar, but he had not added to the statistic that same week against Getafe either. The kid's competitive mentality, without a doubt, is that of a 'crack', but he must manage his emotions better.