Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand hailed Lamine Yamal after Barcelona’s 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League. He said that the youngster is above the level of any other player in Europe.
The Blaugrana hosted Inter in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Wednesday. It was an exhilarating match as it ended in a 3-3 draw. Both sides created more chances but couldn’t capitalize on them.
Lamine Yamal was exceptional on the night. He opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 24th minute and also hit the woodwork twice. He completed 6/11 dribble attempts, made two key passes, won 8/15 ground duels, and attempted six shots (via SofaScore).
After the game, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand heaped praise on the 17-year-old, writing on X (formerly Twitter):
Yamal has scored 15 goals and provided 24 assists in 49 games across competitions for Barcelona this season.
The game was expected to be a great tactical battle between Hansi Flick and Simone Inzaghi. However, it ended up being a complete goal fest. It started with Marcus Thuram scoring for Inter Milan via an audacious flick in the first minute.
Barcelona then ramped up the pressure, but Denzel Dumfries made it 2-0 through a header from a corner. Lamine Yamal then scored an exceptional solo goal in the 24th minute to make it 2-1. He also hit the crossbar from a narrow angle. Ferran Torres then restored parity in the 38th minute, getting on the end of a well-directed header from Raphinha.
Denzel Dumfries again gave Inter the lead in the 63rd minute with yet another corner. Two minutes later, Raphinha unleashed a brilliant shot from outside the box that hit the crossbars but ricocheted off Yann Sommer into the goal.
Overall, Barcelona made 19 attempts, with nine being on target, while Inter made seven attempts, with three being on target. The hosts also dominated possession with 72%.
The second leg will be played at San Siro on Tuesday, May 6. The winner of the tie will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya’s journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur’s front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect’s with the club’s underdog status.
Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda ‘Long-form Editor of the Month’ award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric’s elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.
Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.
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