'Sometimes you have to clip his ears!' - Pedri reveals advice to Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and insists Hansi Flick's side aren't 'afraid' of bitter rivals Real Madrid

Barcelona midfielder Pedri revealed what he keeps advising his fellow team-mate Lamine Yamal and praised the wonderkid after he provided the match-winning assist against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Wednesday. The Catalans are set to clash against eternal rivals Real Madrid in the final, with Pedri insisting that his team isn't afraid to take on Los Blancos.

Yamal produced a sumptuous assist for Ferran Torres in the 27th minute at the Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday. With his latest contribution, Yamal now has 17 assists, just five behind Mohamed Salah’s 22 from open play across all competitions in the top five European leagues.

Hansi Flick's side will now take on Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final, with the two sides meeting at this stage of the cup competition for the first time since 2014. Pedri, however, remained unfazed by the challenge posed by Carlo Ancelotti’s side, asserting that Barcelona weren’t afraid to face them. His confidence likely stems from the 4-0 and 5-2 defeats handed to the reigning Spanish champions earlier this season.

“We’re happy to get to another final. Let’s play and try to win it. What we want is to excite the fans. A final against Real Madrid, clearly they are not going to be easy for us," Pedri told SPORT. "It’s clear we don’t have to be afraid of any team. We’re Barca and we’re going to try to control the game against everyone, but it won’t be easy. Hopefully, we’ll have a game like the ones we have had against them.”

Speaking about Yamal, Pedri said: “I tell him to keep doing what he’s doing, to keep having fun. Although sometimes you have to clip his ears… but that’s okay."

These two sides are currently in the middle of a La Liga title race that is expected to go down the wire. Indeed, Barcelona and Real Madrid are separated by just three points, with Flick's side currently sitting atop the league table. They will take on an unstoppable Real Betis side on Saturday, April 5, while Madrid will face Valencia less than five hours before Barca's game.