Marcus Sorg: ”Lamine is learning to deal with the fans”

Marcus Sorg wanted to make it clear that the azulgrana team lacked precision in the final meters, while Real Madrid showed greater solidity. From that premise, he analyzed several tactical aspects and specific names, although almost all questions revolved around Lamine Yamal.

Self-criticism after the defeat

When asked what the Barça lacked to achieve a positive result, Sorg was clear and self-critical: ”They exploited our mistakes more than we did theirs. In the three quarters of the field, we did not penetrate well enough to create good chances.”

Lamine, in the center of all eyes

From that moment on, practically all questions focused on the young winger. Sorg, however, preferred not to enter into controversies and focused on the sporting aspect, stating that ”it has not been easy for Lamine, we talked about it at halftime, we had to give him context for one-on-one situations and they defended very well, the Madrid defenders did very well and we have to accept that.” The assistant coach was asked again about the same topic, and he replied: ”I didn´t pay attention to what happened at the end, there were a lot of people shouting, but we have to focus on the game, not on what happens on the benches.”

A Barça lacking punch

When questioned about whether the result was fair, Sorg acknowledged that the team lacked goals to be able to equalize: ”We tried everything and ended up playing with only two defenders. We know that Madrid is very good on the counterattack,” he commented, while admitting that Barça ”did not generate enough chances to score the second goal.”

The state of Lamine and his adaptation process

Another of the highlighted points of the press conference was the physical and mental state of the youth player. Sorg asked for calm and understanding with the young footballer, who has just come back from an injury: ”He is coming back from injury and needs more matches at the highest level. It´s normal. He is 18 years old, needs time, and we all have to help him. The defenders covered him very well today,” he explained. In addition, he acknowledged that the constant marking he was subjected to poses a new challenge for him: ”They always do a lot of two against one and want to prevent him from entering the area. It´s normal, he has to improve, and we are going to help him.”

The absence of Lewandowski and the whistles from the Bernabéu

The absence of Robert Lewandowski was also a topic of conversation. Sorg valued the importance of the Polish forward: ”Lewy is a pure center forward and a great finisher. We miss him, but it is what it is, we have to deal with it. We don´t want to complain about injuries, referees, or bad decisions. The season is long, there are 28 matches left, and that is enough.” To close, he was asked again about the whistles that Lamine received at the Madrid stadium. The assistant defended the player´s strength and his growing maturity: ”He is learning to deal with the audience and the shouts and whistles from the spectators, but it´s normal. He is always very motivated and plays well. Today was not an easy day for him.”