Young Star Lamine Yamal Shines in Thrilling Draw between Barcelona and Inter Milan
In Barcelona, the soccer world witnessed a dazzling display from Lamine Yamal as he pushed the bounds of Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan team during their exhilarating 3-3 tie. Following the match, Inzaghi, impressed by the young Catalan’s talent, remarked that such players appear only once every fifty years.
“He’s the kind of talent who is born every 50 years, and seeing him in person really blew me away,” said the coach of Inter Milan after Yamal inspired Barcelona to turn around the game. According to Inzaghi, the 25-minute stint towards the end of the first half was when Yamal caused the most trouble.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, could not hold back his admiration for the 17-year-old, describing him as “a genius.” Yamal’s milestone 100th game in Barcelona’s senior squad highlighted his extraordinary abilities.
“He’s special. I’ve noted this before. He’s a genius,” shared Flick. “On the grand stages, he makes his mark. I’m elated that if a talent like Simone says comes once every half-century, it is donning Barcelona’s colors.”
Yamal’s Impressive Performance Echoes Messi’s Legacy
Though Yamal distanced himself from being compared to Lionel Messi during a press meet before the Inter game, his on-field performance mirrored moments reminiscent of Messi’s best days. Playing from the right wing, his moves either sought out teammates poised to score or saw him skillfully dribbling past opponents.
His breathtaking goal is already being celebrated in highlight reels. Despite Inter initially gaining a 2-0 lead with goals by Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, Yamal managed to conjure a seemingly impossible score. Darting past defenders, he gracefully placed the ball on his left foot and curled it into the net off the post, marking him as the youngest scorer in a Champions League semifinal at 17 years and 291 days.
Not long after, he nearly repeated the feat with a mesmerizing move through two defenders, culminating in a near-miss when the ball grazed the crossbar, impressing even Manchester City star Erling Haaland, who noted Yamal’s brilliance on social media.
Yamal also contributed key passes that led to shots from Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo, although these were brilliantly saved by Inter’s goalkeeper, Yann Sommer. Raphinha then handed Torres a perfect assist, leveling the score by halftime at 2-2.
Denzel Dumfries put Inter back in front, but Raphinha responded with a spectacular strike to draw the game. Despite the impressive comeback, Yamal felt there’s more to achieve.
Eager for More Success
Though filled with appreciation for the accolades, Yamal emphasizes the importance of focusing on subsequent matches, with two wins separating Barcelona from European Cup glory.
“I am happy to have helped the team, and now we need to go for more,” he stated. “We knew we could have won the game, but our focus now is completely on the second leg to advance.”
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Inter’s midfielder, also acknowledged Yamal’s skill. “The whole world can see what a good footballer he is. We tried to stop him, but that was so difficult because he’s got great talent. I hope we don’t let him play this much next week.”