A genius, a phenomenon: Yamal steals the show in Champions League draw

Dubai: Lamine Yamal picked up the ball near the halfway line, twisted past one defender, breezed past another, and curled it into the net like he’d been doing it for a decade. Except he’s only 17 — and already rewriting Champions League history. On his 100th appearance for Barcelona, the teenage sensation delivered a solo goal that stunned Inter Milan and reignited Barça’s European dream in a pulsating 3-3 semi-final draw.

“Yamal is clearly a talent of the type born every 50 years. Talents like this — I’ve never really seen before,” said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi.

“I saw him tonight for the first time and he created problems for us. We doubled up on him… and then we lacked players elsewhere on the pitch.

“(Our performance) is a reason for great pride, and Yamal is a phenomenon of the kind born every 50 years.”

Inter managed to keep Yamal quieter in parts of the second half, which Inzaghi said was a deliberate adjustment after the teenager’s explosive start.

“We adjusted something. We had to be better on Yamal, which is not very simple,” he added.

The Italian side raced into a two-goal lead with superb strikes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, before the unstoppable Yamal pulled Barça back into the contest.

Ferran Torres levelled for the five-time champions and, although Inter nosed ahead again through Dumfries, a Yann Sommer own goal left the tie on a knife-edge at the halfway stage.

Inter had been desperately hoping Thuram would be fit after a thigh injury — and he showed exactly why, scoring the fastest ever goal in a Champions League semi-final after just 30 seconds.

Already a key player for Barcelona and a European champion with Spain just a day after turning 17 last July, Yamal’s dazzling runs down the right flank continue to draw comparisons with Argentina great Lionel Messi.

“To be compared to the best in history is incredible and that means you’re doing something right, but I try to be me and be remembered for myself,” Yamal said in a televised interview on Thursday.

“It will be very difficult to get to that (Messi’s career achievement), so I hope I will be remembered for being Lamine Yamal,” he added.

The teenage prodigy, widely regarded as the most exciting talent to emerge from Barça’s famed La Masia academy in years, also made clear his long-term ambition: “I hope never to leave Barcelona because I want to be a legend at the club.”

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised Yamal, who had rejected Messi comparisons on the eve of the match — but then scored a goal the Argentine would have been proud of.

“I’m really happy that this talent who comes every 50 years plays for Barça,” said Flick, echoing Inzaghi’s remarks.

“Lamine in the first half was so important for us — he created so many positive things and got the first goal,” the German coach told reporters.

“In the big matches, you see the quality of this player, and he showed it today. It’s really good to have him...

“He’s special, he’s a genius… you see all the details and it’s unbelievable how he does this.”

The second leg takes place in Milan next Tuesday, with the winners to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in the final in Munich on May 31.

“He’s incredible — you have to recognise how good he is,” said Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni. “He’s one of the best wingers in the world,” he added, acknowledging the challenge Yamal will pose again in the return leg.

— With inputs from agencies