Before kickoff, Yamal posted two stories on Instagram, one with the caption “Pressure?” alongside a photo of him in a Spain national jersey, and another with “I’m back and the mission is also back,” with Barca and PSG logos, expressing his confidence ahead of the big Champions League match.
Yamal’s teammate, star midfielder Pedri, also gave his take in the pre-match press conference.
“PSG is a team that already showed last season what it was, one of the best teams in the world, and I consider us to be the best,” he said, as quoted by Goal.
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Lamine Yamal’s messages before Barcelona’s game with PSG. Photo by Instagram/@lamineyamal |
At Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic on Wednesday, Ferran Torres put Barca ahead in the 19th minute, but after that, PSG took control of the game and came back with two goals from Senny Mayulu and Goncalo Ramos.
After the final whistle, PSG players responded to Yamal and Pedri.
“We’re the Champions League champions, that’s it,” Ramos said, as quoted by Podium. “If you’re the best team, prove it on the field, not just by talking.”
Vitinha Told RMC Sport: “It happens sometimes. There are often statements made before matches, and it can happen. We don’t give a damn. We don’t care, we just want to play the match, we won, and we’re happy about that.”
Spanish outlets were also critical of Yamal. Mark reminded Yamal he has yet to win a Champions League or a Ballon d’Or, while AS noted the 18-year-old was creative in the first half but faded after the break, underlining that he still has much to improve.
In France, the reaction was even harsher. L’Team rated Yamal 5/10, while Frenkie de Jong and Dani Olmo received a 3.
“Back from injury, Yamal thrived early with dribbles and passes in the first half, but quickly lost form and his influence vanished,” the newspaper wrote.
PSG’s Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes both earned an 8 as they provided the assists for the two goals. The team dubbed Mendes the “King of Montjuic,” and The Parisian hailed the left-back as the symbol of PSG’s spirited comeback.
“Nuno Mendes and Hakimi? They are the two best full-backs in the world without a doubt,” PSG head coach Luis Enrique said, as quoted by Goal. “They are capable of anything.”
Despite his poor form at the Champions League, Yamal proved otherwise in La Liga as he managed to score two and provide three assists in three games.
