On the eve of Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, Lamine Yamal announced his intention to draw inspiration from Neymar’s “remontada” performance. Surprisingly, he also mentioned LeBron James.
This Wednesday at Anfield (kickoff at 9pm), PSG will start their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Liverpool with a two-goal advantage (2-0). Meanwhile, at the Metropolitano in Madrid, Barcelona will find themselves in the opposite situation due to their slip-up at Camp Nou last week against Atletico Madrid (0-2). However, the Blaugranas are not ready to admit defeat. Regarded by many as the best player in the world right now, Lamine Yamal intends to draw inspiration from Barcelona’s legendary “remontada” against PSG in 2017.
“I’ve watched this match many times, I saw it live,” declared the Barcelona number 10 in a press conference on Monday. However, he quickly shifted focus and praised his idol instead. “Neymar marked my entire childhood, he is my idol and I will always be grateful for what he has done for football, he inspires us all. We pay to watch him play, and then two, three days after the match we watch him again to see his moves. We should thank him for what he has given to football, and I hope he can go to the World Cup,” stated the Spanish international.
“LeBron is a role model”
Later, Lamine Yamal also mentioned his second source of inspiration: LeBron James. “LeBron is one of the role models that can inspire me for the match tomorrow, which is why I posted that photo. I will think about how he achieved it and hope we can do the same. We have many leaders in the team, I consider myself one of them but I am not the only one,” analyzed the player who posted a picture of the basketball legend on his Instagram account. “Don’t think that coming back is a miracle. It’s a match that starts at 2-0, but we have to play as we know how,” the Catalan also pointed out.
Despite being criticized for lack of sportsmanship after the victorious derby against Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday (3-1), Lamine Yamal is in great form. Providing two assists for Ferran Torres, the Barcelona number 10 definitively sealed the match with a late goal.
