Yamal, nearly lost his composure in a 'headbutt brawl' and almost missed the 'El Clasico'! Local media also pointed out, "What good is genius if you can't control your emotions?"

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Lamine Yamal (19, Barcelona) put on a stellar performance with one goal and one assist, but he was caught up in a tense confrontation that nearly cost him his place in the 'El Clasico' against Real Madrid.

On the 18th (Korean time), Barcelona crushed Real Betis 5-2 in an away match of the 9th round of the 2026~2027 La Liga held at the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, Spain.

Barcelona, which was on a nine-game winning streak to start the season (27 points), matched the league record for the most consecutive opening wins set by Real Madrid in the 1968~1969 season. Barcelona showcased terrifying destructive power, scoring a whopping 39 goals (while conceding 9) over nine matches.

Yamal was the chief architect of the victory. In the 10th minute of the first half, he scored the opening goal with a fantastic left-footed shot from the right corner of the penalty box. In the 6th minute of the second half, he assisted Gavi's goal with a sharp cross. Barcelona added to their lead with Rodri's debut goal since his transfer, as well as consecutive goals from Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo, securing a decisive win.

However, Yamal left room for improvement in terms of emotional control on the day. After the match, Spanish outlet 'As' reported that "Yamal got caught up in an intense clash near the end of the game, putting his appearance in El Clasico at risk."

The confrontation erupted in the 9th minute of the second half, when Betis was chasing with a score of 2-3. After teammate Fermi fell following an aerial duel, Betis's Alvaro Vazquez urged him to get up quickly to prevent a video assistant referee (VAR) review. When Yamal pushed Vazquez away, Facundo Bernal rushed in. The tense atmosphere intensified as Yamal shoved Bernal with even greater force. Eventually, the agitated Bernal headbutted Yamal in the face and was sent off directly.

At that point, Yamal already had one yellow card. Had he received an additional card during the confrontation, his appearance in the upcoming El Clasico would have been ruled out. Manager Hansi Flick, who was closely monitoring the situation, substituted Yamal off in the 25th minute of the second half to completely block any potential risk of an additional warning. The media explained that "Manager Flick grabbed Yamal as he came off the field and sternly warned him about the risk of accumulating cards in a whisper."

The outlet further noted, "While Yamal usually maintains his composure, he often loses his cool," adding that "despite possessing world-class talent, he nearly lost an important El Clasico due to a momentary surge of emotion."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original