"When is he going to rest?", "Xavi is so selfish" - Fans unhappy with Barcelona star's inclusion in XI to face Almeria
Barcelona fans express their dissatisfaction with the team's lineup for their La Liga clash against UD Almería on May 16 at Estadio Mediterráneo. The Catalans are currently second in the league with 76 points in 35 matches.
Real Madrid have already claimed the league title for the season. The Blaugrana will now try to maintain their runners-up position with two more league fixtures left excluding the one against Almería. Third-place Girona are only one point behind Barca after playing 36 games.
Fans, however, shared their disappointment about Xavi's starting XI on social media. They criticised the Spanish manager's judgment to name Barcelona's young prospect Lamine Yamal against the last-place club in the league while the season is almost over. They expressed their concerns about the 16-year-old forward, who has played multiple consecutive matches throughout the campaign, getting injured.
Here is a collection of their posts on X (formerly Twitter):
One fan wrote:
"Lamine Yamal about to get washed at 18 years old 😭😭when is he going to rest?"
Another added:
"There’s literally no reason Yamal and Cubarsi need to be in this lineup."
"Why Yamal again Until this guy get injured ehh ?" chimed in another fan.
One account posted:
"Yamal is being run to the ground Same Pedri situation all over again If something happens to this kid there should riots in that city"
Another said:
"Lamine Yamal should’ve been rested…"
"This is like yamal’s 50th game. xaviban needs to stop atp," added another.
One user posted:
"Lamine is gonna be finished by next year at this rate.... Starting against relegated almeria"
While another wrote:
"Yamal is just 16 years of age and not a 24 year old who should be playing every match."
Following the match against Almeria, Barcelona will face 15th-place Rayo Vallecano next in La Liga on May 19 at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Barcelona boss makes confident claim about Lamine Yamal after 2-0 win against Real Sociedad
In their last La Liga fixture, Barcelona bagged a 2-0 home win over Real Sociedad on Monday, May 13. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring for the Catalans in the 40th minute with an assist from midfielder İlkay Gündoğan. Raphinha doubled the score by successfully netting a penalty in the second half injury time (90+3').
Xavi was quite impressed with the 16-year-old right winger's performance in the match. After the end of the match, the Blaugrana boss said (via Barca Universal):
"He is the chosen one. Lamine Yama's improvement in 1 year is extraordinary. He's not perfect at a tactical level, but that's normal, he's 16 years old."
Lamine Yamal has scored seven goals and provided nine assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona so far this season.