‎Scaloni Reveals Strategy to Stop Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal Ahead of La Finalissima

By: Shawn
‎Lionel Scaloni has unveiled Argentina’s tactical approach to neutralize Lamine Yamal in the upcoming La Finalissima clash against Spain in Qatar. The European champions will face the Copa America winners next month in the pre-World Cup showdown, often viewed as the national team counterpart to the old Intercontinental Cup. For Yamal, it will be a first-time meeting with Lionel Messi on the international stage.
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Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni reveals his plan to contain teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as Spain prepare to face Argentina in the La Finalissima in Qatar.
‎Getty Images Sport 
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‎Argentina enter the match as reigning champions after a commanding 3-0 win over Italy at Wembley in 2022, with goals from Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria, and Paulo Dybala. The next edition, originally scheduled for last year, is now confirmed for March in Qatar.
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‎Much attention is on how Argentina plans to curb the threat of Barcelona’s teenage winger. Yamal, only 18, has quickly established himself among world football’s elite. He claimed the 2025 Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in October and finished runner-up to Ousmane Dembele for the main award following PSG’s Champions League success over Inter last May.
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‎According to DobleAmarilla, Scaloni intends to deploy a defensively diligent midfielder who will consistently drop back to support the Argentina left-back. This setup aims to create a “2-1” defensive scenario to restrict Yamal’s influence from the right flank. Despite being closely marked in La Liga, Yamal has amassed 10 goals and eight assists this season, as Barcelona competes with Real Madrid for the top spot.
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‎At club level, Yamal will look to maintain his momentum as Barcelona travels to Girona on Monday. The Blaugrana have recently lost the top spot in La Liga after Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad. A win against Girona would return Hansi Flick’s side to first place. The German coach is demanding an immediate response after Barcelona suffered a crushing midweek Copa del Rey defeat to Atletico Madrid.
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‎In that match, Atletico dominated from the outset, scoring four goals by half-time, including an early own goal by Eric Garcia. Goals from Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez left Barcelona facing a steep uphill battle for the second leg at Spotify Camp Nou. Garcia was later sent off, compounding Barcelona’s challenges.
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‎Reflecting on the defeat, Flick admitted: “The first 45 minutes were not right. Our attitude wasn’t competitive, and in every duel, they were better and more dynamic. That’s what I expect from my team.” However, he remained confident about his squad’s capacity to bounce back and emphasized the importance of a collective effort.
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‎Flick added: “When we play as a team at 100 percent, our quality shows. Defeats happen, but how we react matters. That’s the reaction I want to see. Atletico had more hunger and will in the first half, and we need to match that from the first minute. We still have the second leg, and we’ll fight to achieve our goal of winning each half 2-0.”
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‎Looking ahead, Barcelona will host Levante and Villarreal after the Girona clash as they aim to reclaim the La Liga crown and restore momentum for the remainder of the season.

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