Flick reveals “we have to manage his minutes” after Lamine Yamal subbed off | OneFootball

Hansi Flick confirmed that his decision to replace Lamine Yamal in the 78th minute of Barça’s 3-0 win against Mallorca was purely precautionary.

The winger scored the second goal of the afternoon at Spotify Camp Nou, with his fierce effort from range leaving Mallorca’s Leo Román rooted to the spot.

Speaking in his post-match press conference after the Blaugrana moved four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the LaLiga standings, Flick explained that “we have to manage his minutes” and revealed that the 18-year-old was understanding of his decision.

The 60-year-old said: “I know at the moment he is enjoying playing football but also his first half was not on the top level. He kept his energy for the second half and for the goal. Lamine is fantastic and I asked him [if he’d] let me change and he said okay.”

Barcelona had struggled to build momentum throughout the first half, and despite taking a slender one-goal lead into the break after Robert Lewandowski’s close-range finish, Flick was not content with what he saw from his team.

He explained: “I asked them if they were satisfied with the first half, and they said they weren’t.

“We showed them, like we always do, the situations and what we have to make better. It’s about positioning and passing – the quality of the pass and the speed of the pass.

“The first half was not how Barça want to play; the second half was much better.”

Perhaps the highlight of the second half came within the final ten minutes, when substitute Marc Bernal scored his first senior goal for the club after an impressive solo run from the halfway line.

“Everyone stood up and clapped their hands and celebrated. I think for him it was amazing. In the Camp Nou scoring his first goal is perfect, and he did really well,” Flick noted.

In a post-match interview with Movistar+, Marc Casadó also praised the 18-year-old for his debut goal.

“It’s an immense joy for all of us […] the whole club is very happy for him.”