In preparation for the upcoming La Finalissima, Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni has revealed his strategy to counter Spain's budding star Lamine Yamal.
The highly anticipated match, set to take place in Qatar next month, will feature a grudge match between Lionel Messi's Argentina and the European champions Spain. This pre-World Cup encounter serves as the modern equivalent of the Intercontinental Cup.
Argentina, the defending champions, secured a 3-0 victory over Italy in the 2022 edition, courtesy of goals from Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria, and Paulo Dybala. The 2026 La Finalissima, originally scheduled for the previous year, has been rescheduled to March and will now be hosted in Qatar.
All eyes are on how Argentina plans to contain the prolific Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old Barcelona winger who has already established himself as one of the world's most exciting young talents. Yamal's impressive form earned him the 2025 Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony and a second-place finish in the main award, behind Ousmane Dembele.
According to DobleAmarilla, Scaloni intends to deploy a diligent midfielder to constantly track and support the Argentina left-back, creating a "2-1" defensive scenario. This tactic aims to limit Yamal's impact from the right flank, a strategy that has been employed by his La Liga markers with varying degrees of success. Despite the attention, Yamal has managed to score 10 goals and provide eight assists this season, helping Barcelona challenge Real Madrid for the La Liga title.
Yamal will look to add to his goal tally when Barcelona faces Girona on Monday night. The Blaugrana, currently atop the La Liga table, suffered a setback after Real Madrid's convincing 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad. A win for Barcelona would restore their lead, and manager Hansi Flick will be eager for a strong response following their midweek Copa Del Rey humbling by Atletico Madrid.
Atletico Madrid dominated the first half, leading 4-0 at the break thanks to an own goal by Eric Garcia and strikes from Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez. Garcia was later sent off, complicating Barcelona's task for the second leg at Spotify Camp Nou.
In the wake of the defeat, Flick acknowledged his team's poor performance but expressed confidence in their ability to bounce back. "The first 45 minutes were not right," Flick admitted. "We did not have the attitude to be competitive. But I am still proud of my team. We will come back."
Barcelona's next fixtures include home games against Levante and Villarreal as they strive to retain their La Liga crown.
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