Barca's Calm Power: Yamal Breaks Down Rest, Two-on-One Battles, and Flick's Edge
29 January 2026
Lamine Yamal feels at ease despite the heavy defensive pressure he faced.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal spoke of his relief after the hosts beat Copenhagen 4-1 on Wednesday, sealing a place among the last eight in the Champions League group stage, and he argued that playing fewer games gives the team more rest going forward.
Yamal, who scored Barcelona's second and earned the man of the match award, stressed that avoiding the playoff to reach the knockout rounds would be important, adding that reduced fixture congestion can calm the squad in the coming period.
Asked about qualification, he added that rest makes a big difference and that with so many games, two fewer fixtures can help him stay calmer.
He also told reporters that he had not checked the qualification status after the match and would look now to confirm the results.
He denied that teammate Gavi talked about standings when showing him his phone after the match.
Yamal then discussed the defensive pressure, saying he has grown used to one-on-two situations and that this is now a daily reality; he remains happy when he can give the team the upper hand.
Regarding his role in the first half and directing his coach to attack toward his side, he said that in the Champions League he feels freer and that being faced with two opponents can still bring him more space and satisfaction with the performance.
On the difficulty of turning around after Copenhagen’s goal, Yamal stated that scoring against teams of high quality makes comebacks hard, but the second half showed their strength and he was pleased with the result.
He concluded that everyone came to the night with the aim of entering the last eight, and that this objective was the most important.
Flick's Style
He also described the defensive pressure and the tactical approach under coach Hans Flick as giving him more space and confidence in this competition.
He emphasized that he feels freer to influence play within Flick's system and that facing two opponents at once can be manageable and still yield a good performance.
Yamal praised the team's resilience and the strong second half and noted that rhythm and rest matter more than ever in European competition.
We all came here tonight focused on reaching the last eight, and that was the aim.
Punchline: If rest were a tactic Barca would win every match by napping on the ball.
Punchline 2: One on two is no problem for Yamal; he makes it look easy with two defenders and still a win.
