The Blaugrana then travelled to Girona for a Catalan derby clash on Monday, where opposing manager Michel aimed to copy Simeone's blueprint for stifling Yamal.
"Their right flank is one of their weapons, because of Lamine Yamal. He’s very difficult to stop because now, in addition to his individual skill, he also has the passing ability," Michel said. "Most dribblers struggle to look far ahead and deliver that cross or that forward pass, but with Lamine, if you give him an inch so he can’t face you head-on, he’ll deliver the pass.
"He’ll deliver the pass with the outside of his foot and he’ll deliver the cross. And then, if you stay too close to him, he’ll dribble past you. So, we’re talking about a game-changing player. I don’t want to give you any clues, but obviously the way you apply pressure is very important. You have to give Lamine Yamal a bit of a hard time."
Girona didn't really succeed in that aspect as Yamal racked up seven shots and created more chances than anyone on the pitch (four). They did, however, still manage to pull off a famous 2-1 victory that knocked Barca off the Liga summit, and Yamal was guilty of letting his standards slip.
For all of the La Masia gem's huff and puff, he lacked his usual composure in the final third, losing possession 24 times, and hit the woodwork from the penalty spot when the scoreline was 0-0. Yamal appeared to be run down, his decision-making blunted and execution erratic. That was seemingly confirmed after the final whistle by Bojan Krkic Sr, who is privy to the goings on at Barca because his son currently serves as a football coordinator and liaison for the club.
"Lamine was playing with a fever and on medication," he said to Cadena SER. "He had a stomach ache before the match, he wasn't feeling well."