Hansi Flick sends clear message to Lamine Yamal after Barcelona wonderkid's angry reaction to being substituted in Levante win

Yamal continues to enhance his reputation as one of the most exciting talents in world football. The expectation is that he will go on to become a multiple Ballon d’Or winner. The odd question has, however, been asked of his attitude and the need to avoid becoming caught up in his own hype.

Flick has no concerns on that front, with those at Camp Nou considering it to be a positive that their mercurial No.10 wants to play every minute of every game. They were in a position to give Yamal a brief rest after moving three goals to the good against Levante.

Yamal provided the assist for Fermin Lopez as he netted Barca’s third of the game in the 81st minute, meaning that he had done his job for the day. The youngster was visibly frustrated at having to take up a seat on the bench before the final whistle blew.

Flick was quick to play down any drama afterwards, telling reporters when asked about Yamal’s behaviour: “What reaction? Was he angry? That’s normal. For me, the most important thing is that we won and we also have players who deserve to play, like [Roony] Bardghji.

“I liked his attitude when he came on. That’s it. You guys make a big deal out of everything Lamine does. If he’s upset because he was substituted, that’s only human.”

Victory for Barca has lifted them back to the top of the Liga table, one point clear of Clasico rivals Real Madrid. An early effort from Marc Bernal set them on their way against Levante and helped to calm any nerves.

Flick added: “Scoring early was very important; we saw the confidence we had from the start. As the game progressed, we improved and deserved to win.”

He went on to say of Bernal’s value to a winning cause, with the 18-year-old academy graduate being handed a starting berth in the heart of midfield: “When you play with such a low block, you need help from the midfielders, who come up from the second line. Marc is a great player for the future. I hope he has a bright future if he stays healthy.”

Flick add on Bernal’s overall performance, with the youngster continuing to grow into his role as a senior star in Catalunya: “He’s done a great job, he’s given us structure with the ball, he knows where he needs to be at all times, controlling the ball. I like watching him play.”

Dutch star Frenkie de Jong netted Barcelona’s second goal of the game, having been teed up by versatile Portugal international Joao Cancelo. The 31-year-old full-back is taking in his second spell with the Blaugrana, and is making quite the impact as he influences proceedings at both ends of the field.

Flick said as he showered the former Manchester City and Al-Hilal defender with praise: “He was fantastic, he created chances and that’s what I want to see. He showed his strengths. He can help us a lot.”

Barcelona still have 13 La Liga fixtures to take in this season, as they seek to successfully defend their domestic crown, and Flick is pleased to be back at the front of that race. The German said of reclaiming top spot: “It’s important and positive. We had the opportunity after Saturday’s result and we took advantage of it. But there’s still a long way to go. Today we gave the response we needed.”

Real Madrid were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at Osasuna in their latest outing, which left the door open to Barca. Flick’s side will be back in action on Saturday when playing host to Villarreal, before then taking in the second leg of a Copa del Rey semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid that they currently trail 4-0 on aggregate.