Barça’s Yamal dilemma

Barcelona are expected to make a few changes to their starting XI against Girona, and while Hansi Flick confirmed that some rotations are planned, he declined to specify how many. At his press conference, the focus quickly turned to Lamine Yamal – and whether it might finally be time to give the teenager a rest after his heavy workload so far in 2025.

Flick to make decision on Yamal minutes

Yamal played the full 90 minutes against Osasuna, just days after logging 188 minutes across two international fixtures during the break. He’s now the fifth-most used player in the squad – and has featured in every single match Barcelona have played this calendar year.

The German coach admitted he spoke directly with the forward to check on how he was feeling physically – and got a positive response. “Every player is responsible for their own body. If something’s off or not normal, they need to speak up. That’s what we want,” said Flick.

And from the sound of it, Yamal told him he’s feeling in top shape and ready to start against Girona. Whether he’ll play the full 90 is another question. In any case, the final call lies with Flick, who must weigh the risk of pushing Yamal too far – especially with a crucial Copa del Rey ‘final’ against Atlético looming next week.

Girona brings back good memories for Yamal. In the reverse fixture at Montilivi, the Barça wonderkid put in one of his best performances of the season and walked away with the Man of the Match award. One of his two career braces came in that game. His first goal saw him apply pressure, dispossess David López, and slot past Gazzaniga. He then beat the Girona keeper again with a precise finish after recovering a loose ball near the box.

How to stop Lamine Yamal

Despite the damage Yamal did in that match, Girona boss Míchel insisted there would be no rough tactics this time. “You stop him by keeping the ball away from him,” he said. “I’m passionate about football and I won’t consider going outside the boundaries of fair play against a player who gives so much to the game. The best way to make Lamine suffer is to make him chase the ball. Our players will give 200 percent, knowing the challenge ahead. But it’s an exciting one – the kind of challenge I want to face every year.”

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