Before Barcelona’s clash with Inter Milan, Lamine Yamal was insistent that he doesn’t compare himself to Lionel Messi.
Yet those comparisons will only grow stronger after the 17-year-old superstar put in a performance even the Argentinian magician himself would have been proud of in the thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
In his first-ever press conference ahead of the semi-final showdown, Yamal called Messi ‘the best player in football’s history’. He didn’t want to liken himself to the Barcelona legend while still at an age where he can’t even legally drive in Spain.
He definitely doesn’t need L plates when he is on the pitch, mind.
There were flashbacks to Messi in his pomp early on, including the moment he dropped his shoulder, drifted past Henrikh Mkhitaryan as if he wasn’t there, and bent the ball in off the post.
It was the start of a magical display. Inter were frightened with every touch Yamal took, not least Federico Dimarco, who may still be wobbling in a daze after being twisted inside out.
Lamine Yamal’s skill, poise and finish for Barcelona’s first goal were reminiscent of a certain Lionel Messi
Yamal’s superb solo effort pulled a goal back for the hosts after Inter Milan had gone 2-0 up
Dimarco, left all alone, produced a slide tackle Sol Campbell would have been proud of when trying to deny Yamal a second moments after his first. But just like the former England man against Croatia all those years ago, by the time he had made the challenge, Yamal was in his rear-view mirror.
Luckily for the Italian, he had Yann Sommer to bail him out.
With every outside-of-the-boot pass, dummy, or shimmy, the performance just became more mesmerising. Inter were on strings from the 24th minute, and he was the puppeteer.
Yamal was just a kid out enjoying himself. He had claimed that he doesn’t feel pressure, and it had never been more evident. It looked as though he was having a kickabout with children a few years below him at school, but this was a Champions League semi-final, his first as a professional.
The moment that capped it all off came in the second half. Under pressure on the right-hand side in his own half, he clipped the ball through Carlos Augustus’ legs before producing a roulette to fly past Marcus Thuram.
Thuram and his team-mates had had enough of it. The problem was, they couldn’t even catch him to bring him down and pick up a yellow. They were helpless.
With three minutes left on the clock, Yamal nearly capped off the perfect night with a fortuitous winner, but Lady Luck was not on his side.
In what could only be described as a scuffed cross, the starlet sent the ball spinning into the air before it looped back down and crashed off the bar – the second time he had hit the woodwork.
This felt like the display which proved to the world just what a special talent Yamal is
It would have summed up his night had it gone in. And after the whistle blew, he made you realise he was a teenager by having a sulk.
But who could blame him? It almost felt criminal that he did not end up on the winning side.
All of this came after it looked like Yamal might not play. After seemingly pulling up with a groin injury in the warm-up, it felt unlikely that he would start.
Many would have breathed a considerable sigh of relief when the magic sponge worked in the dressing room and Yamal emerged ahead of kick-off.
From that 24th minute, you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. Not because of his garish blonde hair, but because of those moments. He commands your attention at all times, even when he doesn’t have the ball.
It beggars belief that this is a lad who is still 17. Making his 100th appearance for Barcelona, you’d be forgiven for believing this was a player in the midst of his prime.
At the same age, Messi has only made nine appearances and scored one goal, compared to Yamal’s 22. He has provided 33 assists, too.
By comparison, it took Messi a further two years to get to 55 goal involvements.
Comparisons between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are inevitable after his superb showing against Inter
All of those games, goals, and even trophies, but this felt like the night Yamal truly demonstrated to the world just how special a talent he is.
He is not just one of the best, he may just be the best – and Mohamed Salah and Raphinha may just have company in the hunt for the Ballon d’Or.
