For the first 22 minutes of their Champions League semi-final first leg, Barcelona looked second-best to a ruthless Inter Milan. But then, Lamine Yamal decided to take matters into his own hands—and the 17-year-old prodigy delivered a performance for the ages.
Despite falling behind 0-2, Barcelona rallied back to secure a 3-3 draw at home, keeping their Champions League final dream alive ahead of next Tuesday’s decisive return leg in Milan. The comeback was sparked by none other than Yamal, whose solo goal and electric performance lifted the team and fans alike.
Inter Strike Early, Barcelona Wobble
Inter stunned the Camp Nou crowd early with clinical goals from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries. Their sharp execution and tactical discipline gave the 2023 runners-up a commanding early lead, and Barcelona—without injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski—looked out of sorts.
But the moment Inter scored their second, Yamal stepped up. With power and poise, he shrugged off Thuram, danced past Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and slotted home a confident finish to make it 2-1 and ignite the Catalan revival.
Teen Spirit and Tactical Brilliance
Playing his 100th game for Barcelona, Yamal was unstoppable. He hit the woodwork twice, tied Federico Dimarco in knots, and forced Inter to commit extra defenders to contain him—unsuccessfully.
Ferran Torres scored the second to level the match, before Dumfries struck again to restore Inter’s lead. But Barcelona kept pushing, and a fierce shot by Raphinha bounced off the bar and deflected in off goalkeeper Yann Sommer for a dramatic equalizer.
Manager and Teammates React
“I haven’t done anything yet. I have so much ahead of me to do,” Yamal told CBS Sports post-match. “I have a lot of trust in the team… I think we will go through.”
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick credited Yamal with sparking the comeback, calling him “a player for the big moments.” Inter manager Simone Inzaghi labeled the youngster a “phenomenon.”
Teammates echoed the praise. “We know what Lamine is like, he doesn’t surprise us… he’s a very decisive player,” said Torres. Raphinha added, “We all know the quality he has and how much he helps us.”
It was reminiscent of his Euro 2024 semi-final goal against France, pulling his Spain level after Les Bleus had opened the scoring, on the way to winning the trophy.
Yamal has 15 goals and 24 assists in 49 appearances this season, but beyond the numbers — behind Lewandowski and Raphinha for goal contributions — what makes him truly special is the thrills he provides.
In that regard he is more like Brazil star Neymar than Messi, in his penchant for the spectacular and ease with which he pulls off tricks.
“I try and enjoy myself, I think that is the secret, to enjoy it,” Yamal, who made his debut at 15, told CBS.
As Neymar did while at Barca, Yamal dyed his hair blond last week.
“I do it so the time ahead of the game passes quicker… I do it because I’m bored at home,” he explained.
Everyone else will be too, counting down the days until the second leg.
Not Messi, but Messi-like
Yamal, who assisted twice in the Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid, is already drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi. In his first pre-match press conference, he dismissed the comparisons, saying he only focused on enjoying the game—yet the way he responded on the pitch echoed the kind of magic fans once saw from the Argentine legend.
Barcelona now turn their attention to the second leg at the San Siro, with the tie perfectly poised. After a decade-long wait to reach another Champions League final, the Blaugrana are leaning on youth, belief—and a star named Lamine Yamal.
