Barcelona assistant manager Marcus Sorg admitted Lamine Yamal was “affected” by the atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first Clásico of the season.
After four consecutive victories against Real Madrid, the defending Spanish champions suffered a 2–1 defeat to their arch rivals to close out October. Yamal, who ravaged Los Blancos in 2024–25, was held quiet on Sunday afternoon.
The teenage sensation managed zero shots on target, lost half of his duels and only created two chances in his 90 minutes on the pitch in Madrid. Every time he touched the ball, the packed crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu sent deafening whistles his way, something Sorg revealed rattled Yamal.
“It could be that the whistles affected him. Maybe a little. Because he’s learning to deal with the crowd, the whistling... It’s a process,” Sorg, who was filling in on the touchline for the suspended Hansi Flick, said in his postgame press conference.
“It’s true that he’s normally very motivated, and today wasn’t very easy for him,” the assistant manager added.
Álvaro Carreras did well to lock down Yamal, virtually taking away Barcelona’s biggest threat for a majority of the match. Still, the winger created the Catalans’ best chance of the second half, picking out Jules Koundé with a brilliant ball over the top in the 89th minute.
The fullback mishandled the ball, though, and squandered the great opportunity to potentially grab an equalizer in the dying moments of the match.
Sorg: Barcelona Need to Give Yamal ‘Time’
Sorg and Barcelona are firmly standing behind their young superstar in the face of intense criticism. Not only did Yamal fail to deliver against Real Madrid, but he also taunted the 15-time European champions in the buildup to the match, prompting a heated confrontation at the Santiago Bernabéu.
“I think he’s coming off an injury. He needs rhythm, matches... It’s normal. He’s 18, and we have to give him time and help him,” Sorg said.
“It’s normal; opponents try everything against him, and they adapt to defend well. We have to work harder and help him get the best out of him on the pitch.”
Despite Yamal’s lackluster El Clásico performance, the Spaniard still has eight goal contributions in as many matches for Barcelona in 2025–26, picking up right where he left off last season, even amid injury struggles.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Boss Details Key Reason Behind Poor Lamine Yamal Performance in El Clasico.