When Inter Milan's defenders leave the pitch exhausted, they can still gather together to share the same sentiment - "He is better than Lionel Messi".
An Inter player was so surprised by Lamine Yamal that he immediately texted everyone with that same statement. Now they have to find a way to limit the young Spanish star in the second leg.
Yamal could almost take Barcelona to the Champions League final on his own. The 17-year-old is a unique talent with incredible confidence.
Yamal's impressive performance in the 3-3 draw between Barca and Inter was so good that it was almost unprecedented. Rarely has any teen talent ever conquered the world on such a big stage.
Messi himself also impressed Barcelona in the match against Chelsea in the 2005-2006 season. The same was true of Wayne Rooney in England's match against France at EURO 2004. However, Messi and Rooney at that time simply inspired the cheers in the stadium. As for the current Yamal, he could hardly stop him.
Yamal is a key member of the Spanish squad in their journey to win EURO 2024. The 17-year-old scored an excellent goal in the semi-final, before assisting the first goal in the final. Everyone knows what is coming, but it was not expected that Yamal could be so excellent.
There is a feeling that Yamal is transforming from a young talent to a top star. This is clearly not a performance by a player aged just 17. Just seeing how Barcelona try to pass the ball to Yamal at every opportunity is enough to recognize it.
Yamal asserted that he was the only one, not necessarily better or worse than Messi. In simple terms, Yamal is excellent in his own way.
Look at Yamal's goal to reduce the score to 1-2 against Inter. It was amazing how Yamal curved his leg without lifting his back leg to take a shot with such strong force. This is a rare technique in football. Yamal himself has done it before. That was the same move used in the EURO 2024 goal against France.
Yamal sent Federico Dimarco in the wrong direction with just a skillful leg turn, before firing a shot that landed goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the foot. Once again, the only reaction that could occur was exclamation. Yamal has continuously shown extraordinary ability when coming out of the narrowest gaps.
Against Inter, Yamal also had a chance to land the ball on the crossbar in the second half. Of course, it could have been a missed cross. But this moment only happened when Yamal dared to try something beyond his usual expectations.
Yamal saw opportunities that no one else could see, then took advantage of them in a way that no one else could. Of course, many of these compliments have been used to describe Messi himself over the years, and that does not mean Yamal will be better.
Yamal has done more than that at the same age, but that is because he has developed more physically than Messi at the same time. The only concern now is that the 17-year-old player has to work too hard while he is still an adult. However, how can a coach let such a good player sit on the bench?
Perhaps the most notable thing about Yamal and Messi is that Barcelona both possess these talents, and are two decades apart. Barcelona is a giant club that will always trust the young players, regardless of the circumstances. La Masia has maintained his innocence, despite all the other controversies surrounding the club.
Yamal will save Barcelona from the deep holes off the pitch, just like he did on the pitch, with their difficult finances. Blaugrana have stacked their debt, with President Joan Laporta re-elected as Yamal was just a teenager in 2021. Now they have a new great star of world football. Not considering the commercial factor, this is a player with pure talent that is rare to see.
"Lamine Yamal gave us the direction. The goal to shorten the score to 1-2 was really important. He was a great player and you can see his quality in big games. It's great to have him here," Hansi Flick said of Yamal.
