Lamine Yamal’s first half withdrawal in Barcelona’s Champions League humiliation against PSG will be a ‘learning curve’ for the 16-year-old, Rio Ferdinand insists, as the youngster is sacrificed after Ronald Araujo red card
- Yamal was taken off in the 34th minute of the match when Xavi made an early substitution
- Relive the drama: Barcelona collapses with THREE red cards in the match for PSG
- Arsenal need to bounce back in Munich – they can’t carry the fear of losing to Villa into the Champions League game – Listen to the It all starts podcast
Rio Ferdinand insisted Lamine Yamal will learn from his early substitution in Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to PSG.
The 16-year-old was substituted in the first half of his side’s chaotic match after Ronald Araujo was sent off in the 29th minute for a last-man tackle on Bradley Barcola.
The decision led to a slump for the home team, who took the lead by two goals five minutes before half-time.
However, a collapse of significant proportion put PSG ahead, with Barca manager Xavi also sent off in the second period – as well as a member of his coaching staff – after hooking up with his teenage sensation earlier in the match.
Despite the chaos, Ferdinand, speaking on TNT Sports as an expert on the game, suggested the early withdrawal will help Yamal in the long run.
Lamine Yamal (pictured) will view his early substitution against PSG as a ‘learning curve’ that Rio Ferdinand has claimed
The 16-year-old was taken off in the first half when Ronald Araujo was sent off in the draw
Ferdinand acknowledged that the red card was the right decision and that Xavi ‘had to be in order defensively’
“There are so many goals conceded when you make a mistake and he gives the ball away,” the former defender said. ‘Immediately we all shouted penalty and I think he was hasty.
“He supports himself a lot with his pace and his power, but you can see that the contact with his leg is the main contact that takes him down. He says it’s shoulder to shoulder. He goes over the defender and that changes everything and makes it impossible to get the ball.
‘The manager needs to make changes and he has sacrificed the youngest, most inexperienced player on the pitch, an attacking player, to get things right defensively. It’s understandable, not fun for a young player, but it’s part of his tendency curve.”
Barca boss Xavi was also sent off along with a member of his backroom staff
Peter Crouch lamented the impact the red card had on the match from a defensive point of view for Barça
Peter Crouch, meanwhile, lamented the loss of both Araujo and Yamal as the game crumbled before Barca’s eyes.
“It’s a huge loss because he [Araujo] sometimes switched to do business with Mbappe,” he said. ‘He went straight in, just to follow Mbappe. It will be a big miss for them.
‘You’ll miss him [Yamal] defensively because he can go past people and he is a good ball carrier. The broadcast has a huge impact.’
