Lamine Yamal asked to be subbed off so struggling Barcelona teammate could get some minutes

Lamine Yamal asked to be substituted for good reason in Barcelona's 4-0 Champions League quarter final first leg thrashing of Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night.

The Blaugrana recorded a convincing victory at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, with wingers Yamal and Raphinha both on target as well as Robert Lewandowski, who bagged a brace against his former side.

The Euro 2024 Young Player of the Tournament produced yet another incredible performance for Hansi Flick's side and scored Barca's fourth and final goal on the night.

But the 17-year-old sensation also showed his class later on with a gesture which sums up what a humble and mature person he is.

Yamal was seen gesturing to the bench to come off later on and there were fears from Barca that their starboy had suffered an injury.

However, it emerged that Yamal was actually asking to come off so that Ansu Fati could get some vital minutes in the bank.

Once upon a time Fati was the next big thing for Barcelona and Spain and tipped to follow in Lionel Messi's path, even being handed his No.10 shirt.

But the winger became hampered with injuries and spent last season on loan at Brighton in the Premier League.

He's only made 10 appearances for the five-time Champions League winners this season but according to journalist Miguel Blasquez, Yamal demanded that Fati get on the pitch on Wednesday.

"Lamine Yamal requested a substitution against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League so Ansu Fati could get playing time after months of absence," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Lamine Yamal reportedly asked to be substituted so Ansu Fati could play vital minutes. Image: Getty

Yamal turned down iconic shirt number

The gesture towards Fati is not the first instance where Yamal has shown respect for the 22-year-old. According to Toni Juanmartí, Yamal asked to be substituted for Fati as he knows the player is "having a hard time".

But he also showed his true colours in the summer. Yamal wears the No.19, one of Messi's former numbers, but he was also reportedly offered Fatu's No.10 shirt and politely refused it.

After the game, Flick eased any worries about Yamal's fitness and shed light on the substitution made.

“Lamine is fine,” Flick said, as per Marca.

“He had played too many minutes, so it was good that Ansu was able to play. It’s important for him to get minutes. He’s training very well and deserved to play.”