Barcelona’s young sensation, Lamine Yamal, has disclosed that he deliberately held back his full effort during his most recent international appearance.
The 18-year-old winger made a return to the starting lineup for Spain on Sunday.
Following his substitution in Spain’s World Cup opener against Cabo Verde, Lamine was back on the right flank for La Roja’s match against Saudi Arabia yesterday evening.
In a dominant 4-0 victory for Spain, the young attacker scored the opening goal with a finish at the back post early in the game.
However, after scoring, he was noticeably observed easing up his pace.
When questioned about this after the final whistle in Atlanta, Lamine confirmed it was a planned approach, as the attacker is still regaining full match fitness following an injury layoff.
He stated, “If it had been a final, I would have been at 100%, but we’re not stupid. I wasn’t going to expend all my energy when we were leading 3-0 in the 40th minute. We need to play with composure and intelligence.”
English Translation:
‘We’re not stupid’ – Barcelona star admits he didn’t give 100% in latest World Cup outing
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has revealed that he conserved energy in his most recent appearance on the international stage.
This comes after the 18-year-old returned to starting duties for Spain on Sunday.
After being a substitute in La Roja’s World Cup opener against Cabo Verde, Lamine slotted back in on the right of his country’s frontline to face Saudi Arabia yesterday evening.
During Spain’s eventual 4-0 victory, the young winger opened the scoring with a back-post finish early on.
From that point on, however, he could be seen notably taking his foot off the gas.
When asked about this after the full-time whistle in Atlanta, Lamine admitted that it was pre-planned, as the attacker is still working his way back to fitness following a spell on the sidelines due to injury:
“If it had been a final, I would have been at 100%, but we’re not stupid. I wasn’t going to use 100% of my energy when we were 3-0 up in the 40th minute. We have to play with calmness and be smart about it.”
