Standing on the touchline at the Lluis Companys, Inter manager Simone Inzaghi had one of the best views in the ground as Lamine Yamal led Barcelona’s comeback in their thrilling 3-3 draw in the Champions League semi-final first leg. The Italian could not believe what he saw, or what the 17-year-old was doing to Inter’s defence.
“He’s the kind of talent who is born every 50 years,” Inzaghi said. “I had never seen him live and he really impressed me today. Lamine Yamal caused us so many problems in the last 25 minutes of the first half.”
Inter were 2-0 early on, taking a shock lead through goals from Marcus Thuram after just 30 seconds and Denzel Dumfries after 21 minutes. Yamal seized the game from there, raising his arms to the crowd. “Lamine showed us the way with that incredible goal,” Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said.
What he did on the ball naturally earned comparisons to another left-footed forward who took charge of big Champions League nights for Barcelona. Yamal’s goal was Messi-esque, as the teenager started near the touchline, turned away from Thuram, slipped past Henrikh Mkhitaryan, faced up Alessandro Bastoni as he worked the ball onto his left foot, before bending a stunning strike in off the post that goalkeeper Yann Sommer did not even move for.
The goal made Yamal the youngest scorer in Champions League semi-final history, at 17 years and 291 days, breaking a record set by Kylian Mbappe. He came close to an even better moment shortly afterwards, too: beating Federico Di Marco to his right, controlling the ball on the byline as the full-back went to ground, and smashing a shot from the angle off the underside of the crossbar. Sommer got an astonishing touch just as the ball flew over his head.
Inter’s heads were ringing. They started to double up on Yamal but he still created chances for Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo. “He’s special. I’ve said it before, but he’s a genius,” said Flick. “In the big matches, he shows up, and I think he enjoyed the situation. I’m really happy that this talent, if it only comes every 50 years like Simone said, I’m glad it’s for Barcelona.”
Watching from home, Erling Haaland posted a screenshot of Yamal hitting the bar. “This guy is incredible,” he wrote. On the pitch, Inter scrambled to try and get close to him. “The whole world can see what a good footballer he is. He’s a player who shines,” Mkhitaryan said. “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.”
Barcelona were level before half-time when Raphinha headed down a Pedri cross for Torres to equalise. In an enthralling first-leg – the highest-scoring draw in a Champions League semi-final since 1999 – Inter went ahead again as Dumfries scored from a corner in the 63rd minute, before Raphinha thundered a shot off the bar that bounced down and went in off the back of Sommer.
But the 17-year-old almost had the final say. In the 87th minute, he scooped a first-time chip towards the back post that bounced off the top of the bar, with Raphinha lurking. “I was trying to shoot,” Yamal told CBS Sports.
In the CBS studio, Thierry Henry looked on and admired, but wanted an explanation. “What an incredible game,” he said. “To play 100 games for Barcelona, at your age, at 17, that’s incredible. How is it possible that you’re doing it as well as you are? Why is it so easy for you?”
The response from the teenager was telling. “I try to enjoy it, I think that’s the secret,” Yamal replied. “I have to make sure other people enjoy watching the game of football. I’ve still got a lot ahead of me and a lot to do.” And the world will be watching next week in the San Siro, hoping for another unforgettable night.
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