Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal has revealed that ahead of the match against Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, he is drawing inspiration from LeBron James’ historic comeback with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, as well as from Neymar, who was a key figure in one of the greatest comebacks in football history when FC Barcelona eliminated Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Barcelona suffered a 2–0 defeat in the first leg and is now aiming for a major comeback at the Metropolitano Stadium to secure qualification for the semifinals.
Ahead of this clash, Yamal emphasized that his main inspiration comes from LeBron James’ historic comeback with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. He also mentioned Neymar, who played a decisive role in one of the biggest comebacks in football history when Barcelona eliminated PSG in 2017.
“He (LeBron James) is one of the references that inspires me for tomorrow’s match. I will think about what he did and hope the same happens for me,” said the Spanish talent. “I have watched that match (Barcelona vs PSG) many times. Neymar has been my idol since childhood,” Yamal added.
The eighteen-year-old appeared optimistic ahead of the second leg, believing that his team can make the difference.
“I feel very good and I can’t wait for the match. I hope to make the difference,” he said.
In the end, he also made a humorous comment about the opposing coach Diego Simeone.
“Let’s see if he does me a favor and leaves me one-on-one with a player,” Yamal concluded.
