Barcelona's 17-year-old humiliates Inter in shocking UCL thriller | OneFootball

It’s very easy to forget that Laimne Yamal is just 17 years old. His young age becomes more clear when you look at his haircut or his off field antics, but if you watch him on the pitch, he fits into the footballing world seamlessly. Despite only having two years of first team experience, Yamal has already solidified himself as one of the best players in the world. His grace and technical ability was on full display in Barcelona's stunning 3-3 draw with Inter Milan in the semi-final of the Champions League.

Yamal celebrating his goal - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg | Carl Recine/GettyImages

The night didn’t start off too well for Yamal and Barcelona. The Spanish side found themselves down 2-0 early in the tie with goals from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries. Barça looked shell shocked and in serious risk of crashing out of the Champions League. This is when the 17-year-old decided to take over. Yamal picked up the ball from the right side, drifted past Henrikh Mkhitaryan as if he was a training cone, and kissed the ball off the post and past Yann Sommer.

At just 17 years and 291 days, Yamal has become the youngest ever player to score in a Champions League semi-final, passing Kylian Mbappé. What makes this goal so remarkable upon rewatching it is the sheer amount of attention that Inter Milan dedicated to stopping the teenager. When Yamal takes his shot, there are four different Inter players, all within a few feet of the Spaniard. The space that he has to operate in is so small that every touch requires the utmost precision. For Yamal, this wasn’t anything to worry about.

That brilliance in tight space was on full display just a few minutes later. Yamal breezed past Federico Dimarco, taking the ball to the byline. He then chopped back in onto his favored left foot, and fired an effort which had to be saved by Sommer. Yamal was a problem all game, recording an astounding 17 touches inside the oppositions' penalty area, more than Inter’s entire team combined.

Yamal's shot which was saved by Sommer - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg | Carl Recine/GettyImages

The second half was just as good as the first for Yamal. He made his mark in the 80th minute, with a display of genius that had everyone out of their seats. The winger beat Carlos Augusto with a quick first touch, and then performed a roulette on Thuram. Yamal then drove inside and played a near perfect pass to Raphinha, which was caught out brilliantly by Yann Aurel Bisseck. Yamal then almost grabbed a goal, having a precise effort denied by the post just a few minutes later.

It is quite remarkable to see the growth of Lamine Yamal in such a short amount of time. The 17-year-old is already one of the best players in the world, and he is only getting better. While the greatness of Messi remains a mountain which no player can seemingly climb, Yamal dares to dream of achieving such heights.