Lamine Yamal names another ex-Barcelona forward he used to watch ‘for hours on end’ just like he followed Lionel Messi

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has revealed that apart from Lionel Messi, he admired Neymar while growing up. The teenager said he would watch the Brazilian's videos for extended periods.

Yamal told France Football (via Mundo Deportivo):

“I remember when Neymar was at Santos. Messi, David Villa, Pedro —those were all Barca legends. Those were the initial images that introduced me to the world of football. My earliest memories are from home with my parents."

“We would gather after school at a friend’s place who had a computer, watching Neymar’s videos for hours on end. Then I would return home and continue watching in my room, relishing every moment," he added.

Neymar joined Barcelona from Brazilian side Santos, garnering interest from multiple top European clubs. He played for La Blaugrana from 2013 to 2017 and formed a formidable trio alongside Messi and Luis Suarez.

In all, he made 186 appearances for the side, collecting 105 goals and 76 assists. In his time with the club, he won La Liga twice while also lifting the Champions League once.

Yamal, meanwhile, burst onto the scene last season, becoming a regular starter for Barcelona under Xavi. He excelled for Spain as well, helping them lift the Euros, and has carried his good form into this season, bagging five goals and seven assists in 13 games.

"Deserved to lose" - Bayern star on 4-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League

Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich said the side's intense pressing was the reason for their 4-1 loss against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday (October 23). Speaking after the game, he said (via DAZN):

“I don't think it felt like a 4-1 defeat, but we deserved to lose. We had two teams playing very openly. Both teams pressed high. It was hara-kiri on our part at times."

He added:

“The defeat is very clear, of course. It didn't feel that clear in the first half, even though we didn't come into the game well after conceding the early goal. After making it 1-1, we were fully in the game. Then we were very unlucky to concede the 2-1 goal."

An expansive game from both sides saw the hosts take home all three points, courtesy of a hat-trick from Raphinha. Robert Lewandowski added to their tally while Harry Kane scored for the visitors.

The result saw Barcelona move up to 10th in the standings with six points from their first three games. Bayern, meanwhile, have dropped to 23rd with just one win from their three matches.