What Lamine Yamal must do to reach top level – Flick

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said Tuesday if teenage prima Lamine Yamal is to amended helium indispensable absorption connected improving his enactment rate, up of the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain.

The holders sojourn Barcelona connected Wednesday and 18-year-old winger Yamal is keen to radiance aft finishing arsenic runner-up astatine the Ballon d’Or gala past week, down PSG’s Ousmane Dembele.

Yamal returned from a groin wounded connected Sunday against Real Sociedad successful La Liga and provided an assistance a infinitesimal aft coming disconnected the seat during a agleam second-half cameo.

“(Calling him) super, super, super… I don’t similar this… he’s 18 years aged and for maine helium besides has to absorption connected moving hard,” Flick told reporters.

“It’s not ever easy, with endowment you tin get to this point, but to scope the adjacent level, 1 oregon 2 steps much — and I deliberation he’s capable to bash that — helium has to enactment hard.”

Last season, Barcelona won a home treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, but fell conscionable abbreviated successful the Champions League, beaten successful the semi-finals by Inter Milan contempt 2 sensational displays by Yamal.

Against Luis Enrique’s attacking PSG side, Flick demanded Yamal and his teammates knuckle down erstwhile the French champions are successful possession.

“It’s not lone astir playing with the ball, it’s besides defending,” continued Flick.

“This is what we request from each subordinate — adjacent a large subordinate with the shot similar him — and this makes the difference.”

Flick said to bushed PSG, his squad had to ore from “the archetypal 2nd to the extremity of the match” and play astatine their highest level.

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi said his squad indispensable nine unneurotic to snuff retired the menace of Yamal connected Barca’s close wing.

The Morocco planetary besides said left-back Nuno Mendes has proved helium tin support Yamal quiet, arsenic helium did for Portugal successful the Nations League against Spain successful June.

“He volition person to play against the champion left-back successful the world, Nuno Mendes,” said Hakimi.

“He’s already proven he’s susceptible of stopping Yamal, arsenic helium did before, and stopping different attackers who person a akin playing style.

“I deliberation the spot of our squad is the enactment we springiness each other. We’ll effort to assistance Nuno Mendes, not permission him one-on-one, due to the fact that we cognize Yamal’s ability.”

– Rashford has ‘arrived’ –

Flick besides praised Marcus Rashford, who has established himself connected the near flank for Barca.

With Raphinha retired injured, Rashford is acceptable to commencement against PSG. The forward, connected indebtedness from Manchester United, netted doubly successful Barcelona’s opening Champions League triumph astatine Newcastle.

“Everyone tin spot it successful the past games, the Newcastle lucifer gives him a batch of assurance and present he’s here, he’s present arrived successful Barcelona,” said Flick.

“This is not ever easy, to travel to La Liga… with antithetic opponents, a antithetic benignant of however we play football, he’s adapted (well).”

PSG volition beryllium without first-choice attackers Dembele, formerly a Barca player, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, among different missing stars.

Barca midfielder Pedri said helium considered his squad favourites to triumph the game.

“PSG are 1 of the champion teams successful the world, and we are the champion — oregon astatine slightest that’s however I spot it,” helium told reporters.

The French broadside bushed Barca 4-1 the past clip the teams met, successful the 2024 quarter-finals, aft Barca defender Ronald Araujo was sent off. PSG progressed 6-4 connected aggregate.

“Every Barca instrumentality knows that we were adjacent to going done 2 seasons ago,” said Pedri.

“There’s ever revenge successful shot and that’s what we privation — it’s the benignant of crippled that’s astir enjoyable.”

AFP

The station What Lamine Yamal indispensable bash to scope apical level – Flick appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.