HOps are the last to die, and Lamine Yamal knows it. After Barcelona suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atltico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, Hansi Flick’s side will have to come back in the second leg and win by at least three goals. It’s difficult, but not impossible. And the 18-year-old made it clear.
Ramin changed his profile picture to the iconic image of LeBron James, surprising social media with a gesture laden with competitive symbolism that served as a message to fans and rivals.
Yamal’s gesture symbolizes his confidence in Rose’s comeback
The forward posted a message on his Instagram Stories after the defeat, warning: “This isn’t over, Craz.” Now, to show his unwavering faith in the Blaugrana team, Lamine has made a major change to his profile.
The young winger had not had a profile picture on the social media platform for a long time, but now he has decided to replace it with an image of four-time NBA champion LeBron James, a choice that has a very special meaning.
With just over 48 hours left until Tuesday’s second leg at Metropolitano, and after an outstanding performance in the derby against Espanyol, Lamine overturned a 3-1 deficit in the final against Golden State to complete one of the greatest comebacks in basketball history, choosing a profile photo of King James holding up the title he won with the Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals.
The final was shaped by the circumstances in which the match was played. The Warriors team finished the historic regular season with a record of 73 wins and 9 losses, ultimately succumbing to their rivals. As a result, the matchup was one of the most memorable upsets in elite sports.
This precedent makes Yamal dream of achieving a similar result against Cholo Simeone’s team, and with this selection Lamine also articulates a winning spirit, ambition, confidence and a mindset focused on one goal: a comeback.
Goals from Julin Lebarez and Alexander Sorloth left Lamine and Bala on the brink, unable to recover from Pau Cubers’ red card in the 44th minute. The situation is tough as the Blaugrana faces major challenges in Europe and needs to respond following an unfavorable result.
In this scenario, the young winger takes center stage not only on the field, where he already has decisive power, but also off the field, setting the emotional tone for the team.
Now, for the second leg, Atlético Madrid will look to protect their lead and make the most of their home field advantage when they welcome Yamal and co to the Metropolitano on April 14th at 3pm ET. This is a team that has made it clear that they will fight to overturn the defeat at Camp Nou.
