Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal drew plaudits from both managers after his stunning individual goal sparked a comeback in the thrilling 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
Making his 100th appearance for Barcelona at just 17 years and 291 days old, Yamal became the youngest player ever to score in a Champions League semi-final, breaking Kylian Mbappé’s previous record (18 years, 140 days set in 2017).
With Barcelona trailing 2-0 early at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium, Yamal produced a moment of magic in the 24th minute. Receiving the ball on the right, he cut inside past defenders and curled an exquisite left-footed shot off the far post and into the net. The winger was a constant threat throughout the match, also hitting the woodwork twice.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick hailed the youngster’s impact: “Lamine (Yamal) showed us the way with that incredible goal because it was crucial to score that goal after we were losing by two goals, he played really well,” Flick told Movistar Plus. “Lamine was a very important player for us… In the big games, as he has already shown, he always turns up.”
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi was equally impressed, admitting his side struggled to contain the winger, particularly in the first half. “We had to be better on Lamine Yamal, but it’s much easier to say that from outside,” Inzaghi said. “He is a player who impressed me and he created a lot of problems for us.”
Inzaghi added high praise for the Spanish international: “He is a talent that is born every 50 years, I had never seen him live and today he impressed me.”
Despite Yamal’s heroics, Barcelona couldn’t secure a first-leg win, leaving the tie finely balanced at 3-3 ahead of the return leg at the San Siro next Tuesday.
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