This Sunday’s El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu promises to be a thrilling encounter, with individual duels taking center stage. One of the most anticipated matchups will be between Real Madrid‘s Álvaro Carreras and Barcelona‘s Lamine Yamal on the left flank. Despite a mixed start to his career at Madrid, Carreras carries a significant psychological advantage: he has previously succeeded in neutralizing the young Catalan star.
In recent weeks, Carreras has faced some scrutiny over his form, but he can draw confidence from past encounters with Yamal. During the last Champions League campaign, when Carreras was still with Benfica, he had two direct confrontations with the talented forward. These previous meetings provide him with a crucial edge heading into this high-stakes match.
Previous Encounters
The first of their clashes occurred in the group stage, where Carreras effectively stifled Yamal, who failed to register any goals or assists in Barcelona’s narrow 5-4 defeat. The only blemish for Carreras in that match was a contentious penalty awarded to Barcelona following a minor contact between the two players in the box. However, renowned referee expert Iturralde González later suggested that Yamal had exaggerated the contact to earn the foul, thereby absolving Carreras of any technical error.
Last Season’s Showdown
The second encounter was even more telling. In the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, Yamal was virtually invisible as Carreras marked him tightly throughout the match. So ineffective was Yamal that Barcelona coach Hansi Flick opted to substitute him in the 56th minute while the score remained level at 0-0. This serves as a testament to Carreras’s ability to keep one of La Liga’s most dangerous attackers at bay when he is focused and determined.
As they prepare for Sunday’s clash, it’s important to note that while Yamal has been less impactful lately—scoring just once from the penalty spot in two months—the threat he poses remains significant. All eyes will be on Carreras as he faces his first major test against Barcelona while wearing the Real Madrid jersey. Given his track record against Yamal, he could very well become the defensive bulwark that Madrid needs on their left side.
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