rediff logo
« Back to Article
Print this article

Yamal feels heat during Clasico for 'cheat' jibe

October 27, 2025 09:43 IST

FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior clash after the match at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain, on Sunday

IMAGE: FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior clash after the match at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain, on Sunday. Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters

Real Madrid’s fans were in no mood to forgive Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal during Sunday's Clasico for his provocative remarks ahead of the game.

The 18-year-old Barca forward had suggested the capital club "cheat" and "complain" in a televised interview on Friday before the encounter at Santiago Bernabeu, which Real Madrid won 2-1.

 

Yamal made a nervy start, and a baying home crowd thought he had conceded a penalty when he slid in to tackle Vinicius Jr, but the decision to award a spot kick was overturned after a VAR review.

Yamal received a chorus of whistles and jeers every time he touched the ball and drew one of the loudest reactions of the night when Vinicius smashed a loose ball that cannoned into him.

FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal vies with Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni

IMAGE: FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal vies with Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni. Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters

Appearing to shrug off some of the nerves, he was involved in some early slick exchanges with his Barca teammates and attempted one of his trademark curlers from the right-hand edge of the box.

But left back Alvaro Carreras largely kept him in check after that and he became increasingly peripheral as the game went on and Madrid dominated.

During a skirmish at the end of the match, Madrid captain Dani Carvajal, who plays with Yamal for Spain, was seen telling the young winger that he talked too much.

Barcelona assistant manager Marcus Sorg admitted that the hostile atmosphere probably affected Barcelona’s star player.

"It's possible. Perhaps a little. Because he's learning to deal with the crowd, the booing... It's a process. It's true that he's usually very motivated, and today wasn't very easy for him," Sorg said.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2026 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.