Fermin Lopez had every reason to celebrate after scoring Barcelona’s second goal in their 4-1 Champions League victory over Galatasaray, but the midfielder was quick to share the credit with Lamine Yamal.
The teenager produced an excellent pass for Fermin’s second-half header, helping Barcelona take control after the hosts had briefly threatened to make the contest difficult.
Speaking after the match, Fermin praised his teammate’s ability and explained how their understanding on and off the pitch benefits the team.
Fermin explains special connection with Lamine Yamal
Fermin made it clear that playing alongside Yamal gives him confidence to attack spaces, knowing the winger has the vision to find him.
“Lamine is a friend and a great teammate. When he has the ball, I always look to get open because he sees me and looks for me. He’s the best in the world and has a lot of talent.
“We get along well off the field, and that translates to the field. I’d give half of my goal to Lamine Yamal.
“It was a gift! But for me, it’s incredible to score goals. It’s always special to score for Barça.”
The midfielder also acknowledged that Barcelona must maintain their standards despite their strong start to the season.
Fermin Lopez scored Barcelona’s second goal vs Galatasaray. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)
With a demanding run of fixtures approaching, he warned against becoming complacent.
“We’re playing at a very high level, but that’s not enough. The season is very long. We’re on a roll and working well, but we can’t let up—we have to keep it up.”
Fermin warns against complacency after Galatasaray comeback
Fermin knows the upcoming schedule will test Barcelona’s consistency, but insisted the squad is ready to keep collecting victories.
“We know we have a tough week ahead. There are games against very tough opponents, but we’re ready, and we’re going to try to win every remaining game this month.
“It’s only the beginning of the season, and we know we might hit a rough patch eventually. For now, we have to enjoy our good form and keep it up.”
Reflecting on the match itself, he admitted that Galatasaray’s opening goal briefly changed the feel of the contest, despite Barcelona controlling much of the play.
“It got a little strange after their goal, even though we were dominating. After that, we managed to come back and control the game.”
Eric Garcia praises Yamal after European statement
Meanwhile, Eric Garcia was equally impressed by Yamal’s contribution to Barcelona’s second-half performance, underlining the confidence the youngster gives his teammates.
Eric Garcia has nothing but praise for Lamine Yamal. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)
“With a player as good as Lamine Yamal, all we have to do is motivate him. He’s different, he’s the best,” he explained.
The defender also praised Barcelona’s attacking quality and recognised the difficulty of winning away in Istanbul.
“We showed the quality we have up front. Overall, we should be very happy because coming here to play in Europe is very difficult.
“Galatasaray is a top-level team and we have to appreciate winning here.”
On Galatasaray’s goal, assisted by Rafael Leao, who got the better of the Spaniard, Eric added,
“I don’t think their goal was our fault. They did well on that play. Cubarsi and Gerard had a great game.
“I think that despite the score at halftime, we were already playing well. Maybe we rushed some passes, but I think we were still doing well.
“The first 20 minutes of the second half were incredible,” he concluded.
Source: Mundo Deportivo