Lucas Hernandez’s clever reaction to Lamine Yamal draws attention after PSG win

Lucas Hernandez used a brief exchange with Lamine Yamal to add a touch of humour to Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-2 victory over Barcelona at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

The France international had spent much of the match trying to contain Barcelona’s teenage forward, but took the opportunity to tease his opponent after restoring Paris Saint-Germain’s lead in the 72nd minute.

Hernandez headed in from a corner delivered by Desire Doue, putting his side 2-1 ahead. As he made his way back towards his position, the 30-year-old crossed paths with Yamal, his direct opponent during the game.

Television footage showed Hernandez gently patting Yamal on the shoulder before exchanging a few words with him. The Paris Saint-Germain defender then turned to look at the young winger’s reaction and briefly moved around him.

Yamal initially remained expressionless, but eventually smiled in response to Hernandez’s joke. The moment provided a light-hearted conclusion to an impressive evening for the France defender.

It was Hernandez’s first Champions League start in two years. With Nuno Mendes unavailable, he was deployed at left-back and was given a specific instruction by Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique: limit the influence of Yamal.

For most of the match, Hernandez succeeded in that task, preventing the Barcelona player from making a significant impact on the game. Yamal did eventually find the net, but only a few minutes after Hernandez had been replaced by Warren Zaire-Emery in the 79th minute.

The goal briefly brought Barcelona back into contention, although the response was immediate. Vitinha restored Paris Saint-Germain’s advantage before Fabian Ruiz completed the scoring to secure a 4-2 win for the hosts.

A post on X also drew attention to the contact between the two players. “Lucas Hernandez was spotted bullying Lamine Yamal after the 4-2 last night. I don’t know why Referee decided not to book him. He gave him a very small tap which Lamine Yamal did not like as he kept staring at him,” wrote user Big Yunizz on 21 October 2026.

The exchange came after Hernandez had largely won his personal battle with Yamal, while Paris Saint-Germain finished the match with a convincing victory over Barcelona in the third round of the league phase of the Champions League.