€180m Barcelona star puts on a Champions League show despite UCL exit to Inter – Opinion | OneFootball

FC Barcelona may have been knocked out by Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals (7–6 on aggregate), but this tie will be remembered not just for its chaos, drama, and heartbreak — it will be remembered for the rise of a 17-year-old wonderkid who danced past defenders like they weren’t even there.

Both teams left everything out on the pitch last night in an attempt to reach Munich and in a game of moments, Inter showcased their experience to take their moments better when Barcelona had the tie in their hands, only to give it away in added injury time at the end of the 90 minutes.

One Barcelona player who was stupendous irrespective of the result across both legs was Lamine Yamal. At just 17, playing in the semifinals of the Champions League for the first ever time in his career, the Spaniard put on a show and was very unfortunate to end up on the losing side from these encounters.

Unstoppable Lamine: Inter’s nightmare:

To say Lamine Yamal was unstoppable across the two legs against Inter Milan won’t be an exaggeration. Well, he was stopped last night by an incredible Yan Sommer but the Italian side will be the first ones to hold their hands up and admit they did not know what to do with the Spaniard.

Inter put two, three and sometimes even four players in an attempt to mark him and not let him influence the game but that did not stop the €180m-rated player from running circles around their defense and everytime they thought they had him covered, they found seconds later that they didn’t.

It was one of those displays that will go into the history books of the Champions League and will be spoken about for years to come, despite Barcelona ending up on the losing side at the end of it all. Sometimes, some performances rise beyond results and that’s what Lamine’s performance did.

Numbers that defy his age!

Get ready to get your mind blown. As per stats from Sofascore across the two Barcelona vs Inter Milan games, this is how Lamine’s figures read. Seeing this from any player is incredible but from a player not yet out of his teens is unheard of.

The teenager scored just one goal across the two legs. He had an average xG of 0.29 and an average xA of 0.22. He provided 3 key passes across the two legs. In total, he recorded 7 shots on target, of which just 1 ended up in a goal and 6 were thwarted by Yan Sommer.

Lamine also had three shots that were blocked by the Inter defenders and he also hit the woodwork thrice. Across the two legs, the Spaniard completed a whopping 20 dribbles and ran riot past Di Marco & co. on the right flank.

As always, just as his attacking numbers look out of the world, defensively, he was switched on as ever, willing to track back and help Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia when needed. Across the two games, he won a ridiculous 31 ground duels. For a flair player, that is unheard of.

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

Heroics without reward:

With numbers like this, more often than not, Lamine would have ended the tie with a hattrick against his name. Especially at San Siro last night, he attempted so many brilliant shots on goal but Sommer somehow found a level in him to keep everything out.

Lamine Yamal is already a superstar. He has transcended best youngster in the world conversations and entered best player in the world conversations at just 17. It is scary to think of the heights that he can hit in his career if his development continues on a similar trajectory.

By the Euro-winner’s own lofty standards, the big games seem to bring out a whole new level in him. This has been the case since last summer in the Euros and he reserved his best of the season for the Inter Milan games.

He may not have dragged Barcelona to Munich, but Lamine Yamal walked away with something just as valuable — the world’s admiration. On the grandest stage, against seasoned warriors, the teenager proved he belongs among the elite.

If this is what 17 looks like, the future isn’t just bright — it’s blinding. Barcelona may be out, but Yamal has arrived. And next season, he won’t just be knocking on the door. He’ll be kicking it down.