Lamine Yamal collected the ball near the halfway line, twisted past one defender, glided past another, and curled it into the net as though it were second nature. Except he's only 17 – and already etching his name into Champions League folklore. On his 100th appearance for Barcelona, the teenage sensation produced a mesmerising solo goal to ignite Barça’s European hopes in a breathless 3–3 semi-final draw with Inter Milan.

‘A Phenomenon Born Every 50 Years’

“Yamal is clearly a talent of the type born every 50 years. I’ve never seen anything quite like him,” said Inter manager Simone Inzaghi.

“I saw him live for the first time tonight, and he caused us real problems. We doubled up on him… which meant we left ourselves short elsewhere.

“Our overall performance brings us great pride – but Yamal is an exceptional phenomenon.”

Inter managed to contain the youngster better in the second half, which Inzaghi confirmed was a tactical adjustment following Yamal’s electric opening.

“We made changes. We had to manage Yamal more effectively – not an easy task by any means,” he added.

A Blistering Contest

The Italians surged into an early two-goal lead with fine finishes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, only for the irrepressible Yamal to haul Barcelona back into the tie.

Ferran Torres then struck the equaliser for the five-time European champions. Inter regained the advantage through a second from Dumfries, but a Yann Sommer own goal left the tie delicately poised ahead of the second leg.

Thuram, returning from a thigh injury, made an immediate impact, netting the fastest goal ever scored in a Champions League semi-final – just 30 seconds after kick-off.

‘I Want to Be a Legend at Barcelona’

Already a key figure for Barça and a European champion with Spain just a day after his 17th birthday last July, Yamal continues to draw comparisons with Lionel Messi for his dazzling runs down the right wing.

“To be compared to the best in history is incredible. It means you're doing something right, but I want to be remembered as myself,” Yamal said in a televised interview.

“Reaching Messi’s level will be very difficult, so I hope I’m remembered for being Lamine Yamal.”

The prodigy, considered the brightest talent to emerge from Barcelona’s La Masia academy in recent years, also spoke about his ambitions: “I hope I never have to leave Barcelona. I want to become a legend at this club.”

‘He’s Special. He’s a Genius’

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick was full of praise for Yamal, who had brushed off Messi comparisons in the pre-match build-up — only to score a goal reminiscent of the Argentine legend.

“I’m delighted that a once-in-a-generation talent like this plays for Barça,” Flick said.

“Lamine was instrumental in the first half — he created so many positive moments and scored our opener,” the German added.

“In the biggest matches, you see the true quality of a player — and he showed it tonight. He’s special. He’s a genius. The level of detail and intelligence in his play is remarkable.”

Second Leg Awaits

The return leg will be played in Milan next Tuesday, with the winner set to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in the final in Munich on 31 May.

“He’s incredible — you’ve got to recognise how good he really is,” said Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni. “He’s one of the best wingers in the world,” he added, acknowledging the threat Yamal will pose again in the decisive second leg.