Lamin Yamal has reacted well after the disappointment of third place in the Ballon d'Or voting, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. The award was won by Harry Kane, with Kylian Mbappe also finishing ahead of the 19-year-old Spaniard.
“Harry Kane deserved the award, but you already know what I think of Lamin. He is at the level needed to win it,” Flick said before the home game against Alaves.
Yamal won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain, but remained third in the rankings for the best player in the world. According to Flick, the winger has not let the disappointment affect his preparation.
Yamal will have the opportunity to continue the season with a home game against Alaves. Barcelona are looking to return to winning ways after two consecutive losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
The Catalans started the campaign with 11 consecutive wins in all competitions, but then lost 4-2 away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. This was followed by a 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in La Liga.
„The most important thing tomorrow is to win. The team is playing well and we believe in our strengths. I saw a good training session and a positive atmosphere. We have to show it in the match“, said Flick.
The German specialist warned that Alaves defend in an organized manner, but expects Barcelona to show their best side.
“Alaves are a team that knows how to defend well, but we are Barça and we want to show our best version“, added Flick.Barcelona maintain a two-point lead at the top of the La Liga standings ahead of their match with Alaves and the upcoming meeting with Atletico Madrid. Flick admitted that he does not like to lose, but stressed that the season is long.
“Trophies are won at the end of the season. We have to deal with that. We could have won, but we have to accept the loss and learn from it“, said the coach.