Lamine Yamal delivered a spectacular goal in extra time against the Netherlands, giving Spain the lead for the third time. However, the Barcelona winger couldn’t find the net in the penalty shootout. After his missed penalty, teammate Pedri shared what he told Yamal.
In the UEFA Nations League quarter-final on Sunday, Spain took the lead twice in regular time, only for the Netherlands to equalize both times. In extra time, Yamal scored an eye-catching goal from inside the box, putting Spain ahead once again. But they couldn’t hold on to the lead this time either. The match ended 3-3 in the second leg, making it 5-5 on aggregate. In the shootout, both teams scored their first three penalties.
Noa Lang’s fourth shot for the Netherlands hit the crossbar, giving Spain the perfect chance to pull ahead. But Yamal’s weak shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Later, when Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon saved Donyell Malen’s shot, Pedri stepped up and found the net, securing a 5-4 victory and taking the Euro champions to the semi-finals.
When asked by reporters what he said to Yamal after the missed penalty, Pedri gave a playful response.
“I told Lamine what a terrible penalty he took. Anyway, I think he is a player who will learn from this. We can’t put too much pressure on him.”
He further added:
“He is a player we need to take care of, stay by his side, and most importantly, let him enjoy himself on the pitch.”
