The good news for FC Barcelona is that Lamine Yamal is fully fit and ready to compete; in fact, he returned to the pitch against Las Palmas. The bad news, however, is that there’s a concerning pattern in the city of Barcelona: whenever Yamal doesn’t start, the team doesn’t win.

Barcelona's Perfect Record with Lamine Yamal

The Blaugrana have a 100% win rate when the young player starts in La Liga. They have won 11 out of 11 matches in which he has been part of the starting lineup, accumulating a total of 33 points, or 97% of the total points the team has earned, keeping them at the top of the league.

The Poor Results Without Lamine Yamal

Without the 17-year-old player, Barcelona’s record changes drastically. In the four matches where Yamal did not start, the team has recorded one draw and three losses.

The losses came against Osasuna, Real Sociedad, and Las Palmas, while the draw was against Celta de Vigo. It’s worth noting that Yamal wasn’t available for these matches due to injury.

What Hansi Flick Said After the Loss

FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick did not hide his frustration after the 1-2 loss to UD Las Palmas on Saturday, a result that marks the third consecutive match without a win in La Liga EA Sports for the Catalan side. “It’s a huge disappointment,” the German coach admitted during the post-match press conference at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys.

Missed Opportunities and Lack of Effectiveness in Attack

Flick pointed to the team’s lack of effectiveness as the main issue: “We created opportunities, but we didn’t take them. We had 70% possession and shot 27 times,” he explained. Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances, Barcelona failed to capitalize on their opportunities and ultimately lost to Las Palmas.

Defensive Problems and the Need for Collective Improvement

Regarding defense, Flick noted that the goals conceded in recent matches are the result of a collective issue, not just defensive problems: “Defense is not just about the last four players, it’s about the unity of the team, like at the beginning of the season,” Flick stated. He added that while mistakes were made, they weren’t solely defensive, as they also began from the attack.

The Impact of the Second Goal and Expectations from Substitutions

Flick stated that the second goal from Las Palmas was decisive for the result: “It killed us. The players tried for 90 minutes, but we didn’t take our chances.” The German coach also admitted that he expected more from the changes made in the second half and expressed his hope to have Dani Olmo available for the next match against Mallorca. “Olmo is still dealing with some minor issues, we didn’t want to risk it, but we need him for the upcoming games. He brings us a lot of quality,” he explained.

Confidence in the Team to Turn Things Around

Despite the three-match winless streak, Flick emphasized his confidence in his team’s quality: “I have an excellent team, and I trust the players' quality to turn this situation around. When we play as a team, when we all defend and attack well, we can beat anyone. If we don’t do that, if some players are disconnected, things go wrong,” he concluded.