Inter Milan Coach in Awe of Lamine Yamal After UCL Draw With Barcelona
- Lamine Yamal left Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi in awe after his superlative display in the Champions League
- The 17-year-old was a thorn in the flesh of the Italians with his trickery, deft touches and eye for goal
- While he did not get the man-of-the-match award, his performance drew praise from social media users
Simone Inzaghi was left in admiration of Lamine Yamal’s brilliance after Inter Milan’s gripping 3-3 draw with Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash.
The Italian tactician watched his side race to a dream start at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Wednesday night.
Inzaghi's Inter surged ahead within 21 minutes courtesy of clinical finishes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, putting them firmly in control until Yamal intervened.
Source: Getty Images
Lamine Yamal spurs Barcelona to comeback draw
With Barcelona trailing and the tie slipping away, the 17-year-old forward turned the momentum on its head.
Picking up the ball on the right flank, Yamal embarked on a dazzling solo run that carved open Inter’s structure, finishing the move with a sublime strike in the 24th minute to halve the deficit.
From that moment, the pendulum swung in the Catalans’ favour.
Operating predominantly on the right flank, Yamal’s positional intelligence stretched Inter's defensive line, creating pockets of space for teammates to exploit.
Eight minutes later, Ferran Torres brought parity to the scoreboard as Barcelona continued to pile on the pressure, dominating possession and controlling the tempo.
Though the Nerazzurri momentarily regained the lead with a goal after the hour mark, the hosts responded again, with Raphinha’s involvement forcing an own goal from Yann Sommer, ensuring the tie remained delicately balanced heading into the second leg, according to The Athletic.
Simone Inzaghi in awe of Lamine Yamal
After the final whistle, Inzaghi couldn’t hide his admiration for the Spanish starlet who had given his side a tactical nightmare.
“I haven't seen a player like Lamine Yamal in the last eight or nine years,” he said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
The Inter boss, renowned for his defensive organisation, admitted that containing the teenager required extraordinary measures.
“We had to put three players on him!”
Despite Yamal’s influence diminishing slightly in the second half, partly due to Inter’s adjusted shape and better coverage down the flanks, his imprint on the match was undeniable.
Looking ahead to the reverse fixture at the iconic Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, Inzaghi will be banking on the second-half containment strategy to neutralise Barcelona’s young maestro.
But based on current form, stopping Yamal may require more than just numbers, it may demand a tactical masterclass.
UEFA stirs reactions with cryptic Lamine Yamal post
In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh highlighted how UEFA stirred excitement online with a cryptic post about Lamine Yamal.
The Champions League organisers’ puzzling message on X sparked a wave of fan reactions, with many speculating on the 17-year-old's rising influence in European football.
Source: YEN.com.gh
