Lamine Yamal and Diego Simeone in war of words before Barcelona face Atletico

FC Barcelona’s star attacker Lamine Yamal has jokingly requested Diego Simeone, head coach of Atletico Madrid, to make it easier for him ahead of their all-important second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday. The young winger, who replaced his social media image with a picture of LeBron James clutching the Larry O'Brien Trophy, hopes to perform and inspire his team in a similar way to help his team qualify for the next round.

Going into the second leg, Barcelona find themselves in a precarious situation. Not only are they without their star attacker Raphinha, but they will also be without defender Pau Cubarsi, after he was sent off in the first leg. Despite the odds being in Atletico’s favour, Lamine Yamal believes both he and Barcelona remain confident in their ability to beat Atletico in their own backyard. But to add to their challenge, Barcelona have never beaten their La Liga counterparts Atletico in a two-legged Champions League clash.

"I find myself very well, with a lot of desire. I am motivated for that. I hope to be able to make the difference that Cholo (Simeone) does me a favour and puts me one-on-one against some players," said the youngster in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by Yahoo Sports.

This sentiment was echoed by his manager, Hansi Flick, who believes in Lamine’s ability to help dismantle Atletico’s staunch defence. “He's one of the best in one-on-one situations, and we have to help him and give him the opportunity. We have to play as a team; that's the key tomorrow. I'm not worried about individual performances anymore. We have many high-quality players, but so do they. I've said that matches are often decided by moments, and I hope that one goes our way tomorrow,” Flick said.

Yamal has also reinforced his belief through his social media channels, taking to Instagram to send a clear message to Simeone and his team. “This isn’t over, culers (Barca fans). We’ll give everything in the return. All together, always,” Yamal said.

FIRST LEG DEFICIT

At 18, the young star has been crucial to his team’s domestic success and has helped drive a resurgence in Europe. However, Barcelona were stunned last week by Atletico Madrid, as Los Colchoneros secured a 2-0 win at Camp Nou in a VAR-marred first leg. It began when Pau Cubarsi tripped a goal-bound Giovanni Simeone right on the edge of the box. After VAR intervention, the red card was confirmed, and Julian Alvarez scored the resulting free-kick.

Barcelona did try to push Atletico back, with Lamine Yamal constantly threatening from the right wing. However, Simeone's low block prevented Barca from finding an equaliser, and Alexander Sørloth eventually doubled the lead by slotting one in from six yards out. Barcelona, will now hope to defy Simeone and his defensive tactics, in order to keep their European dream alive, a trophy they haven't won since their treble season of 2014/15.

WHERE TO WATCH ATLETICO vs BARCELONA?

The second leg between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona will take place at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.

The match is scheduled for April 14, with kick-off set for 9 pm local time. For viewers in India, that translates to a 12:30 am IST start in the early hours of April 15.

HOW TO WATCH ATLETICO vs BARCELONA?

The Champions League quarter-final clash between Atletcico Madrid vs Barcelona will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network in India.

Fans can also stream the match live on the Sony LIV app and website.