Barcelona’s assistant coach Marcus Sorg has revealed that teenage sensation Lamine Yamal will channel recent criticism into motivation ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes El-Clasico clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 18-year-old Spain international found himself at the centre of controversy in the Spanish capital after making light-hearted remarks on a social media stream, suggesting that Real Madrid “steal” and “complain” during matches.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Sorg expressed confidence that the young winger would respond positively to the backlash.
“Lamine is a top player and I think (the criticism) will be motivating for him,” Sorg told reporters. “I hope we all see him tomorrow (give) the best performance.”
The comments come as Barcelona prepare to face their arch-rivals seeking a fifth consecutive victory over Madrid in La Liga. The Catalan giants, who currently hold the Spanish championship, will be without several key players for the crucial encounter.
Yamal is expected to face a stern test against Madrid’s left-back Alvaro Carreras, a player who caused him difficulties during three Champions League meetings with Benfica last season whilst on loan at the Portuguese club.
However, Sorg dismissed concerns about the potential matchup, pointing to Barcelona’s perfect record against the Lisbon side.
“Lamine is always motivated and if I remember right, we won all three games against Benfica,” the assistant coach noted.
The German coach will take charge of the team from the touchline after head coach Hansi Flick received a red card during last weekend’s victory over Girona. Sorg acknowledged his manager’s absence would be felt by the squad.
“Honestly, Hansi is missing always if he is not there because he’s the most important part of the team,” said Sorg. “It’s a disadvantage of course, (but) it’s the same as (missing) players, we have to deal with it. Everyone knows what he expects and I think we will do it.”
Barcelona’s injury concerns have mounted ahead of the fixture, with winger Raphinha suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring problem. The Brazilian will not feature at the Bernabeu.
“Raphinha every team would miss him but it is how it is, we have enough players and have to deal with it,” Sorg added.
The assistant coach confirmed that defender Jules Kounde trained on Saturday following a knock and may be available for selection, alongside forward Ferran Torres. However, Barcelona will be without striker Robert Lewandowski, midfielder Dani Olmo and Gavi, all sidelined through injury.
Despite the absentees, Barcelona travel to Madrid in strong form and will look to extend their dominance over their fiercest rivals in one of football’s most anticipated fixtures.
