Barcelona’s Wonderkid Lamine Yamal Breaks Record

After a thrilling 3-3 draw between Barcelona and Inter Milan in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi had high praise for Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal.

He said, “Players like him are born only once in 50 years.”

Inzaghi was especially impressed by Yamal’s performance in the first half, saying, “I had never seen him play live before, but he really impressed me today. In the last 25 minutes of the first half, he caused us a lot of problems.”

Hansi Flick Calls Yamal a Genius

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick also praised Yamal, who played his 100th game for the club.
“I’ve always said he’s a genius. He shines in big games. I’m happy Barcelona has a once-in-50-years player like him,” said Flick.

Before the match, Yamal had asked not to be compared with Lionel Messi, the former Barcelona legend. But on the field, his playing style—dribbling from the right, beating defenders, and making smart passes—reminded many fans of Messi.

Historic Goal by a Teenager

Inter took a 2-0 lead with goals from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, but Yamal responded in style in the 24th minute. He dribbled past a defender, cut in with his left foot, and curled the ball into the goal—after hitting the post. It was a stunning solo goal.

With that, Yamal became the youngest player to score in a Champions League semi-final at just 17 years and 291 days.

Later, he nearly scored again, beating two defenders and firing a shot that hit the crossbar. Even Manchester City striker Erling Haaland reacted on Snapchat, calling Yamal “unbelievable.”

Second-Leg Focus

Yamal also made key passes to Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo, whose shots were saved. Then, Raphinha headed the ball to Torres for a goal, making it 2-2. After Dumfries gave Inter the lead again, Raphinha scored a long-range goal to end the match in a 3-3 draw.

Though Yamal looked a bit disappointed that Barcelona couldn’t win, he said he was happy with the praise.
“I’m glad people are saying good things about me, but now I’m focused on the second leg. We knew we could win this game, and now our goal is to win the next one and reach the final,” he said.

Road to the Final

Barcelona is aiming to reach their first Champions League final since 2015. Inter Milan last won the title in 2010, when they knocked out Barcelona in the semis.

This season’s final will be held on May 31 in Munich.