“He sinned through youth” - Ex-Barcelona star blames Lamine Yamal for showing ‘lack of maturity’ before El Clasico loss to Real Madrid

Former Barcelona star Rafinha has blamed teenage sensation Lamine Yamal for his side's defeat against Real Madrid in Sunday's El Clasico. The LaLiga champions lost to their bitter rivals at the Santiago Bernabeu by a 2-1 scoreline, leaving them five points behind Los Blancos.

In a chat with DAZN, Rafinha pointed to Yamal as the main reason for his side's loss, calling him out for his unguarded comments ahead of the game. The former midfielder, who is the younger brother of Barcelona's assistant manager Thiago Alcantara, explained that Yamal's words gave Real Madrid extra motivation to win.

"He sinned through youth and a lack of maturity in saying what he said. His words gave extra motivation to Madrid", he said (via GOAL).

Lamine Yamal appeared to accuse Los Blancos of 'stealing' and 'complaining' in the days leading up to the game, implying that they cheat and also receive favourable officiating. The comments did not go unnoticed by those of a Madrid disposition, including their players and staff.

Barcelona could not cope with Xabi Alonso's side, who looked hungrier and more driven to win after Yamal's careless comments incensed them. The match ended with an almighty scuffle which required police presence to break up, indicating the bad blood brought forth by the comments.

Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham sandwiched an effort from Fermin Lopez in the opening 45 minutes of the encounter. The second period brought more drama as Mbappe missed a penalty and Pedri received the first red card of his professional career in the closing stages.

Barcelona captain leaps to defence of Lamine Yamal following Real Madrid clash

Barcelona captain Frenkie De Jong has spoken out in support of his teammate Lamine Yamal following the heat he has received after El Clasico. La Blaugrana suffered a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid, their third loss in five games across all competitions this season, and the match ended in a huge scuffle.

Speaking to reporters after the game, De Jong absolved Yamal of any blame, instead blaming Real Madrid skipper Dani Carvajal for the chaos that ensued. The Dutchman pointed out that his 18-year-old teammate never accused Los Blancos of cheating, and that Carvajal could have spoken to him privately.

"When the referee blew for full time, several Madrid players went straight for Lamine. It was over the top. If Carvajal wanted to talk to him, he could’ve done it privately. Making gestures on the pitch just fuels the fire. Lamine never said Madrid cheats, I never heard that", he said (via GOAL).

Dani Carvajal responded to Yamal's claims that his side cheats by promising to speak with the youngster after the game on Sunday. The pair of Spanish internationals appeared to have a moment at full-time, but it birthed a scuffle that saw six players booked and Andriy Lunin receive a red card.