Flick: Lamine Yamal Returning to Top Form After Slow La Liga Start

Barcelona's teenage winger Lamine Yamal is finding his rhythm again, according to coach Hansi Flick, though the 19-year-old's start to the 2026-27 season has been uneven. In the club's opening match at Elche, Yamal struggled to impose himself on the game. Two days later, facing Athletic Bilbao, he showed marked improvement, playing the full 90 minutes and demonstrating flashes of the form that made him one of Europe's most promising young talents before injury derailed his spring.

Yamal's path back to the pitch has been complicated. A hamstring injury in April sidelined him during the final stretch of Barcelona's domestic campaign, yet he returned to action at the World Cup just weeks later. Spain won the tournament, but Yamal's individual contribution was limited—he appeared in matches but did not drive play the way observers expected. Now, three weeks into the new season and still shaking off the rust of recovery, he is gradually rediscovering his best self.

Flick addressed the concern surrounding his young winger's form in a Sunday press conference ahead of Barcelona's third fixture against Rayo Vallecano. "I know everyone is worried about how is Lamine, how is he doing," the coach said, acknowledging the scrutiny that follows a player of Yamal's profile when he is not performing at peak level. Flick framed the situation with perspective: Yamal had endured a serious injury, then played in a World Cup, then took a brief holiday before jumping into a new season. The first game against Elche, Flick suggested, was simply not his best outing—but the player had still shown up and worked for the team.

The performance against Bilbao told a different story. Yamal was subdued in the first half but elevated his game after the interval, moving with more purpose and sharpness. Playing a full match was itself a positive development for a player still building match fitness. "We saw him in some situations really on this top level," Flick said. "And now, you couldn't see this in the training today, but I saw it, and it was excellent." The coach's tone suggested he was seeing signs of the player Yamal had been before April—not yet fully there, but unmistakably heading in the right direction.

Flick also noted a shift in Yamal's demeanor. After the Elche match, the winger appeared visibly frustrated. By the time training resumed before the Rayo clash, his mood had brightened. "Of course, it's always good when the players are smiling, but it's not every day the same way," Flick said, offering a pragmatic view of athlete psychology. "I'm also not smiling every day. It's like that." The comment reflected both empathy and realism—young players, like anyone else, have ups and downs.

Barcelona has won both of its opening matches despite operating without a traditional number nine. Raphinha has filled the role in a makeshift capacity, a workaround born from the club's inability to land its primary striker target, Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez. Flick indicated contentment with the squad as currently constituted. Sporting director Deco continues exploring options to strengthen the forward line, but the coach made clear there is no panic if reinforcements don't materialize. For now, Barcelona is focused on the players in the building—including a recovering Yamal—and their capacity to compete at the highest level.