Being a teenager is a constant mental battle with common emotions that you aren\u2019t fully mature enough to handle.<\/p>\n
Relationships. Navigating the job market. Realising what\u2019s truly important in life. And dealing with impotent frustration.<\/p>\n
Lamine Yamal gave a masterclass in impotent frustration during Barcelona\u2019s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid, refusing to celebrate Robert Lewandowski\u2019s late winner.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all seen that level of stubborn petulance and, crucially, experienced it ourselves. It\u2019s divorced of all context and places the self-emotions over the wider picture.<\/p>\n
Since scoring a hat trick against Villarreal in February, the 18-year-old has managed just three goals in his last nine games for club and country. Two of those have been penalties. The fuel for personal frustration is obvious.<\/p>\n
Yet Yamal still produced the game\u2019s best moment of quality, a mind-bending pass that might just be one of the best you\u2019ve ever seen.<\/p>\n
With the Metropolitano night in its early stages, Yamal received a sweeping crossfield pass inside his own half. He had to jump to chest control the ball as Nico Gonzalez closed in. The odds were stacked against the attacker.<\/p>\n
Yet Yamal has a habit of taking your breath away. He sent Gonzalez out for a bocadillo with the cheekiest of nutmegs, before sweeping an imperious trivela into the path of Fermin Lopez.<\/p>\n
Crowded out by two Atletico defenders, Fermin was unable to ensure Yamal\u2019s pass was crowned appropriately.<\/p>\n
Lamine Yamal is UNREAL. \ud83e\udd2f\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8pic.twitter.com\/3hOZE8Dh00<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) April 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe was a little bit angry,\u201d Hansi Flick confirmed in the post-game news conference. \u201cHe gave everything, he tried to score goals and give the last pass. It\u2019s normal.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course he has emotion. This was the game, with emotion, but he\u2019s in the dressing room and everything is good.\u201d<\/p>\n Flick\u2019s response was teasingly vague, but he said Yamal\u2019s temper did not stem from his performance against Atletico.<\/p>\n The Barca manager backed his game-breaking talent to have ridden the hormonal wave when the two teams meet in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know exactly [why he was angry], but [there was] a lot of emotion in the game and Lamine tried everything to score the second goal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have three days now to prepare for the next match\u2026 he will be in a better mood than after the game.\u201d<\/p>\n This victory lifted Barca seven clear of Madrid with just eight games to play after the latter\u2019s defeat to Real Mallorca, while Atletico remain fourth.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone knows they were big points today, this match day was very important for us,\u201d Flick added of extending the advantage over Madrid. \u201cBut everyone knows [La Liga is] not done. We\u2019re happy, but we didn\u2019t celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n Yamal certainly took those words to their literal interpretation. Flick\u2019s indulgence was understandable; it\u2019s hard to imagine a fringe player being allowed such leeway, but a fringe player wouldn\u2019t possess Yamal\u2019s game-changing ability.<\/p>\n Perhaps when he\u2019s fully matured, he\u2019ll look back at his mind-bending pass with pride rather than disdainful scorn.<\/p>\n Even a player of his talent has some growing to do, but this was a dictionary definition of teenagehood in all its prodigality and petulance.<\/p>\n By Michael Lee<\/p>\n READ NEXT: What Joan Laporta\u2019s re-election means for Barcelona: Rashford, Messi, Yamal\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Barcelona\u2019s 15 youngest La Liga goalscorers since 2000?<\/a><\/p>\n