Why Lamine Yamal Was ‘Angry’ After Barcelona’s Dramatic Victory Over Atletico Madrid

Yamal hit an unwanted low mark in a frustrating display against Barcelona’s Champions League foes.

Lamine Yamal had some incredible moments against Atlético Madrid. | Guillermo Martinez/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Hansi Flick put Lamine Yamal’s “anger” at the final whistle of Barcelona’s 2–1 victory over Atlético Madrid on Saturday night down to frustration after he had “tried everything” to break a drought in front of goal which is clearly starting to rankle.

Yamal was visibly perturbed at the conclusion of a dramatic La Liga triumph in the Spanish capital despite his side’s capture of three crucial points at the inhospitable venue of Atlético’s Metropolitano home. The visitors fell 1–0 down to Giuliano Simeone’s well-taken opener before quickly regaining parity through Marcus Rashford on the cusp of halftime.

Atlético’s Nico González was shown a straight red card for scything down Yamal in first-half stoppage time, setting up a one-sided second 45 minutes. Barcelona had 83% possession and denied their hosts a single shot as they camped out in the final third in search of a winner.

Despite Yamal’s best efforts, he couldn’t force the breakthrough. Yet, Robert Lewandowski did deliver an 87th-minute winner with an unorthodox deflection off his chest.

Barcelona ended the night seven points clear of a faltering Real Madrid at La Liga’s summit and had a clear psychological advantage over Atlético ahead of the two legs of their Champions League quarterfinal over the coming days. Yet, Yamal was in no mood to celebrate.

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Lamine Yamal’s Staggering Statistics vs. Atlético

Lamine Yamal should have had one of the most ludicrous assists. pic.twitter.com/0nZauR5BJ8

— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) April 4, 2026

Statistic	Lamine Yamal Value	Team Rank
Goals	0	—
Assists	0	—
Shots	7	1st
Chances Created	5	1st
Successful Dribbles	7	1st
Crosses Attempted	5	1st
Touches	101	2nd
Passes in the Final Third	31	2nd

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Barcelona manager Hansi Flick confirmed that his star forward “was a little bit angry.”

“He gave everything, he tried to score goals and give the last pass. It’s normal. Of course he has emotion. This was the game, with emotion, but he’s in the dressing room and everything is good.”

Flick claimed that Yamal’s performance was not the cause of his strop yet rapidly undermined his own argument by pointing to his missed chances during the game. “It was not because of how he played, he played good,” the German boss argued. “[Just] some situations, he tried everything, tried everything, but at the moment he does not have this fortune that he scores the goals, but it can come back.”

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Yamal Suffers Three-Year Dip

Lamine Yamal’s last goal and assist came in the middle of March. | Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

This was not the first blank Yamal has drawn recently. In fact, Saturday’s clash was the winger’s fourth appearance on the spin without registering a goal or an assist for club and country. Yamal last suffered a longer drought back in 2023, when he was still a 16-year-old and Xavi Hernández was Barcelona’s manager.

Rather than a sign of decline, this remarkable sequence shows just how consistent Yamal has been throughout these embryonic stages of his career.

For all his frustrations, the teenager’s exhibition against Atlético was another example of his supreme talent. Yamal hit the post, humiliated his markers and drew involutary gasps of awe from the Atlético crowd with a series of outrageous outside-of-the-boot passes that his teammates should have turned into assists.

González lost his head long before he got sent off after trying and failing to keep Yamal pinned down. The Argentine forward shoehorned into a left back slot looked entirely out of place pinwheeling around Barça’s dancing No. 10. González was so frazzled that he punched the ball away to prevent Yamal receiving a pass. That was after just 22 minutes.

His red card will keep González sidelined for the next three La Liga matches but he will be available to play against Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at Camp Nou on Wednesday. However, given his night of ritual humiliation at the feet of Yamal, Diego Simeone may be advised to find a different way to make Barcelona’s star man even angrier.

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