Sorg: Yamal Feels the Bernabéu Heat as Barca Misses a Star in a Clasico Night

What Happened On The Night

Marcus Sorg, Barcelona's assistant coach to German head coach Hans Flick, voiced disappointment after their 1-2 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, insisting that individual errors and a lack of attacking efficiency were the decisive factors.

Flick did not attend the match from the bench due to a one-game ban after being sent off in the hard-fought win over Girona (2-1) in the previous La Liga round.

Sorg spoke after the game: 'We made more mistakes than usual and defended very deep. In the final third we didn't have the strength to break through their defense and create more chances'.

Despite the pre-match hype around the Clasico, Lamine Yamal failed to deliver the expected impact on the pitch, in a night that looked tough for the 18-year-old Spaniard.

On his performance, Sorg added: 'It's possible the atmosphere and the fans affected him. He's still learning how to handle whistles and pressure. He is always an enthusiastic player, but today wasn't easy'.

Analysis of the defeat

When asked what Barca lacked, Sorg repeated the idea: 'We committed unusual mistakes, defended too low, and lacked the final-third creativity to break through'.

The team did try to exploit Yamal in one-on-one situations, but Madrid were better prepared: 'We spoke at halftime to open spaces for Yamal, but they were the better side. Sometimes the opponent defends well, and you have to accept that'.

On Yamal's fitness, the coach said: 'He is returning from an injury and needs rhythm and time to return to his best form. He is only 18, and it's natural to feel pressure and to be marked by rivals. We'll help him'.

He also noted that Real Madrid targeted him defensively, often double-teaming him to prevent entry into the box: 'That's natural with a talented player like him'.

Result, options, and absences

Regarding the result and attacking options: 'We tried everything at the end, playing with a depleted defense to intensify the attack. But Real Madrid are dangerous on counters, and we lacked enough chances to score the second'.

Sorg pointed out the absence of Lewandowski: 'He's a reference striker we miss a lot, but we don't want to hide behind excuses. Injuries are part of the game'.

As for deploying Rashford as a fixed striker late on: 'We wanted to change the shape to confuse Madrid's defense, but honestly it didn't work as we hoped'.

In closing, Sorg stressed not to overstate what happened after the final whistle’s clashes, insisting the focus must be on the future.

Pressure on Yamal

Before the Clasico, Yamal's provocative remarks amplified the pressure on him, accusing Real Madrid of stealing and then complaining, signaling a perceived use of refereeing to his own team’s disadvantage.

Marca reported that Yamal's words provided extra motivation to Madrid’s dressing room.

The paper noted that Madrid stars hadn’t forgotten last season’s four defeats to Barca, with Barca winning both La Liga legs, as well as the Cup final and the Super Cup final.

The article suggested these words were not surprising to Madrid players, who feel the Barca star sometimes shows a lack of basic professional respect.

This isn’t the first time Real Madrid players have seen such behavior from Barca’s young talent, but it caused notable irritation in the dressing room as fuel for Sunday’s clash.

Madrid’s anger and broader context

Mundo Deportivo later described behind-the-scenes talk in Real Madrid’s locker room after Yamal’s remarks as 'stupid' and 'disrespectful', reflecting poorly on the Barca youngster.

The paper noted that Real Madrid’s management rejected Yamal’s comments and planned to hold a talk with the Barca player, with captain Dani Carvajal set to handle the discussion after the Bernabéu meeting.

The outlet also underscored that Madrid sees such remarks as disrespectful, regardless of who they are aimed at, and that they could affect the harmony within the Spanish national team.