Hansi Flick has explained why taking Lamine Yamal off was a much easier decision after the teenager delivered a two-goal performance in Barcelona’s emphatic 6-1 victory over Alavés on Saturday.
Barcelona returned to winning ways in style at Spotify Camp Nou, ending a difficult spell that had seen them suffer back-to-back defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Yamal was at the heart of the response, scoring twice as Flick’s side rediscovered their attacking sharpness. The 20-minute rest he received towards the end of the match was also significant, given his demanding schedule this season.
The forward has started all 18 matches for Barcelona and Spain this campaign, making workload management an important consideration for the German manager.
However, with the game already beyond Alavés’ reach, Flick had the opportunity to withdraw his influential attacker without disrupting Barcelona’s control of the contest.
“When you score two goals, it’s easier to go out,” Flick said after substituting Yamal for just the fourth time this season.
The Barcelona manager revealed that he had already discussed managing the teenager’s playing time during the half-time break. While he was pleased with Yamal’s confidence and improved contribution in one-on-one situations, he also stressed the importance of limiting his minutes.
“I spoke with him at half time [about managing his minutes]. For us, that he has the confidence back with the one vs. one situations, more time and minutes in the second half [is good], but it also important he has less minutes.”
Barcelona wasted little time taking control against Alavés, with Raphinha opening the scoring before Fermín López doubled the advantage in the 23rd minute.
Raphinha then grabbed his second goal of the afternoon, taking his season tally to 17, before Yamal capped an impressive team move with a superb finish from the edge of the penalty area to make it 4-0 before half-time.
The teenager continued his influence after the restart, producing a delicate chipped finish over the goalkeeper. Although the effort was initially ruled out for offside, Barcelona maintained their attacking momentum.
Anthony Gordon added the sixth goal late in the contest, while Mariano Díaz scored a late consolation for Alavés.
Beyond the scoreline, the victory offered Barcelona a timely response after their 11-game winning streak was ended by defeats to PSG in the Champions League and Real Madrid in LaLiga.
Flick was particularly encouraged by the collective performance, highlighting the contributions of Yamal, Fermín and Raphinha as evidence of the attacking quality he expects from his team.
“For Lamine it was a great game, but it was good to see the level of the attack: Fermín, Rapha,” Flick added.
“This is what I want to see after these two defeats. How we react, it was good and in the right way.”
The result gives Barcelona a much-needed confidence boost, while Yamal’s brace provides further evidence of his importance to the team. Flick, however, will be equally focused on keeping his young star fresh as the season progresses, with managing his minutes becoming just as important as maximising his impact on the pitch.
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