Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal is drawing inspiration from iconic sports comebacks by LeBron James and Neymar as his team attempts to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal is looking to basketball legend LeBron James for inspiration ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid.
Seeking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit, the 18-year-old recently changed his Instagram profile picture to James celebrating the 2016 NBA title.
“He’s one of the figures who can inspire me for this match,” Yamal stated during Monday’s press conference.
The youngster also cited Neymar’s heroics during Barcelona’s historic 2017 comeback against PSG as a blueprint for success.
While coach Hansi Flick expressed confidence in a turnaround, Atletico may welcome back veteran goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
“I believe in my team, and I think we can do it,” Flick noted. The winner of this Spanish showdown will advance to face either Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon.