By LUKE POWER, SPORTS REPORTER
Published: 11:35 EST, 10 December 2025 | Updated: 11:47 EST, 10 December 2025
Lamine Yamal had a strop at being subbed off late in Barcelona's 2-1 comeback win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
The 18-year-old - who assisted one of Jules Kounde's goals - looked upset at being withdrawn in the 89th minute.
Not for the first time, the supremely talented teen left the pitch with a miffed expression and gesticulated on the bench.
But manager Hansi Flick has explained why he likes that in his star man.
'He was a little disappointed to be substituted, but he had a yellow card and we needed fresh legs,' he said.
'It's not a problem. That's just how it is. I understand him; everyone wants to play, and he believes he can play 100 minutes.
Lamine Yamal was anrgy about coming off in the Champions League for Barcelona (pictured beforehand)
Hansi Flick insisted the youngster was showing a 'good attitude' with his frustration
'He's young. It's a good attitude. I have no problem with it. I was a player myself. I accept it.'
Yamal's third yellow card in five Champions League games means he will miss their next European assignment at Slavia Prague on January 21.
There is pressure on Barca's remaining games against Slavia and Copenhagen because they are only 14th in the league phase standings.
While they face little risk of being knocked out, they are two points off eighth-placed Liverpool and if they cannot overcome that gap then they will have to negotiate the play-off round.
Yamal is having another impressive season and on Tuesday night he registered his 14th goal contribution in the Champions League - the most ever of any player aged 18 or younger, surpassing Kylian Mbappe.
Barcelona made life hard for themselves when they wanted 1-0 down inside 21 minutes to Ansgar Knauff's goal.
But two second-half goals from Kounde gave them a third win in six Champions League games.
First he headed in from Rashford's effort on 50 minutes; three minutes later he connected with Yamal's delivery. Both came from the left flank.
Life is somewhat easier in LaLiga, where Barca have won 13 of their 16 games to establish a four-point lead over Real Madrid.
Madrid's faltering form - which looks like being second in LaLiga and sixth in the Champions League, hardly a disaster - has led to reports that Xabi Alonso is under pressure.
Some go as far as claiming that defeat by Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night in Spain could spell the end of his short reign.