‘He has the personality of a champion’… Fabio Capello advices Inter Milan on how to face Lamine Yamal and Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have one of the most important matches of the entire season awaiting them tonight as they face Inter Milan in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.

The first leg between these two teams ended in a 3-3 draw, and thus the two teams have everything to play for in the second leg.

While most commentators have seen the Blaugranes as the favorites to advance to the final, there is no doubt that Inter Milan also have quite high chances of doing so. In fact, some commentators have been seeing the Italians as the favorites from even before the first leg.

Fabio Capello advises Inter Milan

One such commentator has been the former Italian coach Fabio Capello. As SPORT has reported, the Italian once again spoke about this tie ahead of the second leg, and had some clear advice for Inter:

“What to expect? Above all, Inzaghi’s boys should approach the game as they did in the second half in Catalonia, not as they did in the first. So, with the right dose of courage shown at Montjuïc, especially in the second half.

In this sense, Simone’s decision to once again rely on Dimarco and not Carlos Augusto is a sign: on that wing is Lamine Yamal, but the game plan won’t change and they’ll try to hurt the Blaugrana without giving up the quality of the starting left-back, even though the former Monza player definitely performed better defensively last week.”

Capello also advised the Nerazzurri team not to get too much concerned with Lamine Yamal:

“How can we not talk about Lamine Yamal? It will be his first time at San Siro, but don’t think for a second that he’ll be nervous. The kid doesn’t seem like the type who’s prone to fear. In fact, between the Euros, the Champions League, and matches against Real Madrid, he’s already shown he has the personality of a champion: the bigger the occasion, the higher his level.

That’s why I hope that, if the game is close, Inter won’t sit back like they did in the last 20 minutes against Bayern — doing that against Lamine would be suicide.”

Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring for Barcelona. [Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images]

Lautaro and Lewandowski’s return

Lastly, Capello also believed the return of Lewandowski and Lautaro can prove to be a mixed blessing for either side:

“In these hours leading up to the big match, the medical room is also playing a crucial role. Lautaro seems likely to play, which is a huge boost for the whole team. Because more than just a great striker, Martínez is a true captain, with undeniable spirit and values.

On the other hand, Lewandowski will at least be on the bench. An equally important recovery, because some of those dangerous balls that went through Inter’s box from Barcelona might have led to goals with the Pole on the pitch — there are few better finishers in the world.

These words of advice from Fabio Capello definitely make sense for tonight’s game. It remains to be seen how the two teams approach this game, and whether Lamine Yamal would be able to repeat his performance from the first leg.