Yamal Ignites the Clásico: Criticism of Real Madrid Before the Match

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has ignited the pre-match buzz for Sunday’s Clásico with statements that have generated controversy. The young player stated that Real Madrid “steals and complains”. Barcelona will face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu this weekend, in a match that will pit the top two teams in LaLiga against each other. Madrid leads the table with a two-point advantage after nine matchdays. Before the match, Yamal participated in the Kings League YouTube channel, a competition led by former Barça defender Gerard Piqué, who recently became president of his own team, La Capital. “Yes, they steal [referring to refereeing decisions]; they complain; they do things…”, Yamal stated when asked if Porcinos, La Capital’s rival this weekend, are like Madrid.

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Yamal, 18 years old, has never hesitated to make bold comments about Madrid. Last season, after Barça’s victory in the Copa del Rey, Yamal stated that Madrid couldn’t “handle” Barcelona. After generating controversy with that comment, he added a few days later: “As long as I win, they can’t say anything; when they beat me, they can.” Yamal scored three goals and provided two assists in four matches against Madrid last season, with Barça winning all four encounters: two in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey final, and the Spanish Super Cup. This season, his performance has been affected by a groin problem, but he has still scored three goals and provided five assists in seven appearances for Barça.