Barcelona played a near-perfect match last night to secure a big 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga, which sent them to second place in the table.
Robert Lewandowski was the most standout player on the night, with a goal and two assists. Pau Cubarsi and Hector Fort were impressive yet again while Ilkay Gundogan put in another fine display, despite playing in a deeper role.
Lamine Yamal did not start on the night, with Xavi holding him back and using him as a substitute in the latter stages of the game.
With the match in the bag, the winger did not have a great deal to do, but there was one moment during his time on the pitch where he showcased his development, learning and maturity.
Earlier in the week, when Barça played Napoli, there was a sequence in the game where Barça had a chance to keep possession and keep the pressure on the opponents.
But the youngster chose to try and dribble past a player rather than pass the ball to a teammate, leading to a turnover.
Four days later, there was another similar sequence against Atletico Madrid last night, and the youngster showed that he had learned from his mistake against Napoli and made the more sensible decision to play a simple pass and retain possession.
This action drew applause from veteran midfielder Gundogan, who had expressed some ire towards Yamal for his error in the Napoli clash.
Lamine learned fast, didn’t rush the play, and kept the ball, Gundogan applauded him, everyone is happy.pic.twitter.com/p5uJ0T1ki4 https://t.co/86Oww6VIpJ
— IB (@InvertedMan_) March 17, 2024
Having an experienced veteran like Gundogan in the team makes a valuable difference and the fact that youngsters like Yamal are willing to learn and pick things up so quickly only bodes well for the team.
