Barcelona’s Hansi Flick praises Lamine Yamal, says he is ‘not a kid’

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick showered praise on teenager Lamine Yamal after the Spaniard played a key role in the club’s 4-3 win against arch-rivals Real Madrid on Sunday. With this win, the Catalan club has moved closer to the La Liga title, strengthening their lead at the top of the standings to seven points, with three games to spare.

Yamal, 17, scored Barça’s second goal, finding the back of the net with a brilliant shot into the corner from just inside the area. Real Madrid’s striker Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick, but his efforts went in vain.

“He’s not a kid,” Flick said at a news conference when asked about Yamal taking on so much responsibility at such a young age. “He’s doing good. He has the confidence, the self-confidence, the belief in what he can do. Also, he’s very clever.

“He brought us back [into the match] today with his goal, a very important goal. This, at 17 years old, it’s really high quality. This is what we want from him.”

Barcelona needs two more points to win the La Liga, but Flick is not taking anything for granted despite a decent lead.

“No, it’s football,” Flick added when asked if winning the league was now a foregone conclusion after a fourth Clásico victory this season. “You don’t know what happens, but we’re in a good position. We need [two] more points. This is what we want to make as soon as possible.”

Flick’s side has already won the Spanish Supercopa and the Copa del Rey after beating Real Madrid in both finals, and they would complete a domestic treble if they go all the way in the La Liga. Barca was knocked out of the Champions League after suffering a 7-6 aggregate loss against Inter Milan in the semifinal contest.

Barcelona could claim the title on Thursday, when they travel to local rivals Espanyol.