Photo by Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Lamine Yamal has spoken on Liverpool again this season after previously showering the Red with praise.
The Premier League leaders find themselves entering the international break licking their wounds after a damaging week that saw two trophy hopes shattered. Despite their dominance in the domestic league, Arne Slot’s men have suffered consecutive defeats in cup competitions that have raised questions about squad depth and offensive option.
The two-week international pause may offer a crucial reset opportunity, even if the manager himself holds a different view.
Darwin Nunez has already suggested that it will be nice just to ‘get away’ from the gloomy feeling at Anfield.
In the Champions League, Liverpool exited on penalties against PSG following a 1-1 draw on aggregate.
What makes Liverpool’s Champions League exit particularly frustrating is the path that could have been. Liverpool finished top of the Champions League’s league phase despite their 3-2 loss at PSV Eindhoven in their final group game.
However, despite this top seeding, the draw dealt Liverpool a cruel hand. The Reds were paired with Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, despite PSG finishing only 15th in the league phase standings.
This presented a significantly tougher challenge than what second-place Barcelona received.
While Liverpool was forced to battle with a PSG side that many consider “the team to beat in this season’s Champions League, Barcelona drew Benfica – a team they had already defeated 5-4 during the league phase.
Furthermore, their path could have potentially seen them play the likes of Aston Villa and Real Madrid among other clubs.
But with Liverpool out of the picture, Lamine Yamal rates the Reds so highly that he feels Barcelona are the favourites with the exit to PSG;
“Barça CL favorites? Well, I think… why not? I believe we shouldn’t be afraid of any team,” the teenager said to Diario Sport.
“I already said that in the Champions League, the favorite was Liverpool because they finished first, and we were second. So now that Liverpool is out, we are the favorites. We are not afraid of any team.”
Despite Slot’s desire to immediately bounce back with match action, the international break may provide some vital benefits for his squad.
Barely a week ago, Liverpool had aspirations of potentially multiple trophies under Slot, who would have undoubtedly cemented his name into Anfield folklore by collecting three winners’ medals in his first season.
The psychological blow of losing those opportunities in quick succession cannot be underestimated.
The break allows players not on international duty to recover physically, while providing the coaching staff with time to analyze what went wrong in both defeats.
Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.