Ex-Inter Milan player Ivan Zamorano has pinpointed two key strategies that his former side must implement to stop Lamine Yamal ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Barcelona. The return leg will be played at San Siro today (May 6).
An entertaining first leg staged at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys ended in a gripping 3-3 draw. While neither side could secure a victory, Yamal stole the show on the night. The 17-year-old proved unplayable, mesmerizing Simeone Inzaghi’s men throughout the match, and capped off his brilliant performance with a Lionel Messi-esque goal.
Lamine Yamal’s stunning performance in the first leg has, of course, left the Nerazzurri thinking of how they can stop him tonight. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Zamorano admitted Yamal’s immense talent, saying, “there’s no way to stop him.” He then opined that the two ways to stop the Catalan club’s prodigy are to constantly close him down and cut off his supply.
He said via Football Italia:
Meanwhile, Inzaghi has revealed that Yamal will be double-marked in a bid to curtail the spaces he will get.
Among all Inter Milan players, defender Alessandro Bastoni will worry more about how to stop Lamine Yamal. The Italian, alongside Federico Dimarco, was tasked with the responsibility of marking the youngster in the first leg.
In the pre-match press conference on the second leg, Bastoni was asked about Inter’s plan to stop Yamal from playing well and dominating the tie. Responding, he said (via OneFootball):
He added that Lamine Yamal is the best player he’s faced:
In the ongoing season, Yamal has made 39 goal contributions for Barcelona in 50 appearances across competitions.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel’s journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium’s incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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