Yamal stardust may give Barca edge on Inter Milan

Barcelona final reached the Champions League closing a decade in the past, with Lionel Messi as their torch-bearer.

Now the Catalan giants depend on one other generational expertise in Lamine Yamal as their ‘X-factor’ once they host Inter Milan on Wednesday in a semi-final first leg conflict.

On the peak of his powers Messi scored two sensible objectives within the 2015 semi first leg in opposition to Bayern Munich on the best way to the treble, and whereas Yamal, 17, continues to be honing his ending, he holds the important thing to the workforce’s potential success this season.

{The teenager}, left-footed however working on the appropriate flank with freedom to roam, as Messi did for a few years, is what offers Hansi Flick’s sensible Barca their edge.

Yamal confirmed exactly that of their thrilling Clasico Copa del Rey closing victory over Actual Madrid on Saturday in Seville, organising two of Barcelona’s three objectives.

He has been exhibiting all of it season, with 14 objectives and 24 assists, and numerous however essential flashes of invention, genius and aptitude, on the again of his very good Euro 2024 shows with champions Spain final summer season.

Flick’s attacking Barca has captured the creativeness and a grand a part of that is because of Yamal.

In Barcelona’s metropolis centre it’s uncommon to stroll quite a lot of minutes with out seeing someone sporting a duplicate Yamal shirt.

On matchdays, a sea of No 19 shirts ascends the rolling staircases and escalators reaching in direction of the Olympic stadium on the town’s Montjuic hill.

It was Messi’s No 10, with an array of various Barcelona shirts from totally different years, or the sky-blue and white stripes of Argentina.

With Yamal the shirts are similar, given his rise to stardom has been dizzyingly fast and that is his first season sporting the No 19.

– ‘We have now seen a genius’ –

Ought to Barcelona win the Champions League, Yamal is a possible Ballon d’Or winner.

Such a feat was exhausting to think about so rapidly when former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez gave him his debut as a 15-year-old in April 2023 in opposition to Actual Betis in La Liga.

Yamal appeared a tad intimidated, rightfully so, because the Camp Nou towered up round him, with tens of hundreds analysing his each step.

Maybe it was the one and solely time, as a result of ever since then he has not proven the slightest trace of being daunted.

“I am shocked by how unimaginable the (younger gamers’) mentality is,” mentioned Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo final week.

“They’re so calm… these children from La Masia, it is shocked me lots.”

Yamal’s mom was extra apprehensive than the teenager himself.

“My mum is afraid for me once I begin, however she helps me lots,” he mentioned, whereas nonetheless discovering his footing on the membership.

These preliminary nerves disappeared so rapidly and regardless of his tender age, Yamal started shouldering the artistic weight of the workforce whereas solely 16.

Whereas nonetheless awaiting outcomes for his secondary faculty exams, Yamal cemented his star standing with Spain on the Euros in Germany, turning 17 the day earlier than the ultimate.

“We have now seen a genius, the work of a genius,” gushed Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, after Yamal scored an attractive objective in opposition to France within the semi-finals.

He’s now important for Barcelona, who’ve struggled each time he has not began this season.

Whereas Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha have the lion’s share of the objectives, so a lot of these wouldn’t be potential with out Yamal’s enter.

Both instantly, from his harmful in-swinging crosses, or not directly, due to his incisive dribbling to take out three opponents within the build-up.

“Lamine Yamal… he is like Messi. Does he shock me? No. Everybody is aware of how good he’s, he can dribble previous anybody,” mentioned former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde earlier this season.

Yamal, who as a child in 2007 was remarkably photographed being bathed by then 20-year-old Messi for a charity calendar, has all the time been cautious of the parallels, inevitable as they appear.

“Messi is the most effective participant in historical past, and being in comparison with him means I am doing issues proper, however I attempt to be myself,” he mentioned in February.

If Yamal can take Barcelona again to the Champions League closing, these comparisons will solely develop.