Barcelona: Lamine Yamal shone again in Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan as the 17-year-old was yet again seen as the new Lionel Messi. Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries may have been named Man of the Match with his two goals and one assist, but it was Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal everybody was talking about again after the teams’ 3-3 draw in a Champions League semi-final for the ages.
According to Oman News Agency, comparisons to Lionel Messi were aplenty after the 17-year-old had dazzled once more, not only scoring an important goal but tormenting the Inter defense throughout the match and hitting the crossbar twice. In England, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland said on Snapchat that “this guy is incredible.”
The Inter camp was also impressed, as not even doubling up against Yamal worked. “Lamine is the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years. I’ve not seen a player like him for years,” coach Simone Inzaghi said. Defender Alessandro Bastoni named Yamal “the best player in the world. He makes it all look so easy.”
Yamal’s classy goal in the 24th minute to ignite Barca’s comeback from an early 2-0 deficit made him the youngest scorer in a Champions League semi-final at 17 years 291 days, the latest of many age records in his career. At least as remarkable is that the match was already his 100th for the club, two years and one day after his debut as a 15-year-old.
Yamal won Euro 2024 with Spain and has three titles with Barca, La Liga in 2023, and the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey this year, far more than Messi had at the same age. Barca lead La Liga this season and can win the Champions League for a treble which their coach Hansi Flick achieved with Bayern Munich in 2020.
Barca must now win at San Siro on Tuesday to reach the 31 May’s final in Munich, and another Lamine gala could help in this respect.