Hansi Flick’s assistant Marcus Sorg defended Lamine Yamal after El Clasico, with the teenager very much in the spotlight after the final whistle.
Real Madrid players confronted the teenager on the pitch, after seemingly being upset by his pre-match comments, and the incident sparked a mass brawl.
Sorg was quizzed on Yamal’s contribution after the game and admitted it had been a tough day for the young star.
“It wasn’t easy for him today. We spoke at halftime, we told him we needed him one-on-one, but
he didn’t have many chances. They defended well, they tried everything to stop him, and we have to accept that. He was fine, but the injury he sustained was serious, and he needs more games to be at his best,” he said.
“We have to give him time and help him, together, so he can get back to his best. The opponents were looking for Lamine and creating two-on-ones to stop him from going inside the box or finishing.
“He’s young and needs to improve, and we’ll help him. Maybe the atmosphere at the Bernabéu affected him; he’s also learning from everything it creates. He’s very motivated and played well. But it wasn’t an easy game for him.”
Sorg also pointed at Barcelona’s injury problems in the wake of the defeat and said that Robert Lewandowski is being missed at the moment.
“He’s a real striker, a good finisher. We miss him. But injuries are normal in football,” he added.
“We don’t complain about the injured players or the referees… we already said that at the start of the season. LaLiga is a long season, and we’re not scared of the situation. There are 28 games left.”
Barcelona now have a week to reflect on their performance in El Clasico before they return to action on Saturday against Elche.
