There have been a lot of moments outside competitions Draw 3-3 of Barcelona with the Inter in the first leg of the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League WednesdayIn particular, including the latest declaration of declaration of Lamine Yamal which demonstrated that he was not only a star of the future, but one of the best current talents of the game.
Yamal was at the heart of Barcelona’s strong attack performance, taking four shots and creating two chances while the hosts put three people past. The 17-year-old had a great moment, marking in the 24th minute in an individual shine display case which launched the return of Barcelona by 2-0. It was only the last game in which Yamal left many speechless, including Thierry Henry.
“What I saw this evening Lamine Yamal … It’s not normal to be like that at 17,” said Henry during the post-match show of the UEFA Champions League. “I am not talking about what he does when he is on the ball, his conscience, how calm he is, how he sees the game, the way he defends, puts pressure. It is simply not normal. We talked about the 100 games he already has at this age. It’s just stupid.”
Statistics support Henry’s allegation according to which Yamal is at another level compared to other players of his age. He has 50 goals and assists (22 goals, 28 assists) during his first 100 games at the club level, not far from the total of Lionel Messi of 56 (41 goals, 15 assists) and well in advance on the total of Cristiano Ronaldo of 27 (13 goals, 14 assists). Ronaldo and Messi were both much older than Yamal when they reached the 100 game mark, and Messi had only seven games to his credit in Barcelona when he was the age of Yamal.
His record form is equaled by his entertaining skills, something he is happy to call a trademark of his style of play.
“I like to play in a way that others love,” Yamal said in an interview with the UEFA Champions League after-match.
The transport of the Yamal trophy is just as impressive at his young age – he played a crucial role in the victory of Spain at last year and did it again when Barcelona won the Copa del Rey on Saturday. If Barcelona left with the triple – always a very real possibility with their advance at La Liga and the fact that they are still in the Champions League – he will be a worthy prize winner. He already presents himself as one of the best players in the game, filling a gap left by Messi and Ronaldo while they enter the last years of their legendary career.
“One thing that always surprises me in football is that you always think there is no way that someone is better (than Messi or Ronaldo),” said Henry. “And then Yamal arrives, then you have a new guy in Argentina, (Franco) Mastanuono who plays to River Plate, already winning this derby game on the free kick against Boca Juniors. Beginning, I think.
Jersey swap?
At the end of the interview, Henry said he would be in Barcelona for El Clasico in May and hoped for the Yamal jersey for his son. Yamal had broken down, but he asked Henry to bring him one of his own, and that it didn’t matter if it was a Barcelona jersey or an arsenal jersey.
