Lamine Yamal has set the stage ablaze in Catalonia just hours before the Barcelona-Espanyol derby, scheduled for Saturday evening in the 18th round of La Liga.
Days before the match, Espanyol striker Pere Milla made controversial remarks, saying he would “stomp on Lamine Yamal.” It seems the 18-year-old didn’t miss the opportunity to respond and further inflame tensions ahead of the derby.
Yamal posted an Instagram story featuring a picture of himself celebrating his derby goal in front of angry Espanyol fans, captioned “Looking forward to the return,” along with emojis that appear to be intended to provoke Espanyol and respond to Milla, such as a laughing face and a foot emoji.
Yamal has previously participated in the Catalan derby twice, once in November 2024 and again in May 2025, scoring one goal and providing two assists.
Yamal has featured in 20 matches across all competitions this season, scoring 9 goals and providing 11 assists.
Barcelona currently leads La Liga with 46 points, four points ahead of Real Madrid, while Espanyol is enjoying one of its best seasons and sits in fifth place with 33 points.
