Alejandro Garnacho couldn’t help but admire one of Europe’s most promising players when he watched Barcelona draw 3-3 with Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals.
The first leg at Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona did not disappoint, with a range of sublime goals, while both Barcelona and Inter Milan performed at a high level.
In what was one of the most incredible matches in recent Champions League history, Barcelona came back twice against Inter Milan to leave their semi-final tie hanging in the balance.
Inter Milan led 2-0 after 21 minutes following goals from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries.
Interestingly, both players were United targets during Erik ten Hag’s reign as manager, but they’re enjoying their football in a side looking to reach the final of Europe’s most prestigious competition.
That was before Lamine Yamal gave Barcelona a foothold in the game when his curled effort pulled a goal back. The La Liga giants equalised through Ferran Torres before the break.
Dumfries completed a brace in the second half to make it 3-2, but Barcelona would equalise two minutes later when Raphinha’s rocket effort hit the post before Yann Sommer hit it into his net.
The second leg promises to be an entertaining tie with some of the world’s best players on show.
Alejandro Garnacho hails Lamine Yamal
Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has the world at his feet.
The 17-year-old European Championship winner left everyone amazed with his performance against Inter Milan on Wednesday night. It will do the teenager’s reputation no harm as he looks to hurt their Italian opponents in the second leg next week.
Yamal has become the youngest player to reach 100 appearances for Barcelona and the youngest player to score in a Champions League semi-final.
With Barcelona still on course to win the treble, Filippo Inzaghi needs to find a way to stop Yamal causing as many problems when the two teams meet again in Milan for the second leg.
United star Alejandro Garnacho couldn’t help but comment on Yamal’s post-match Instagram upload, featuring a series of photographs taken during the game. The Argentina international stated that Yamal, as things stand, is the best player in the world.
“Best player in the world,” Garnacho wrote, accompanied by a mind-blown emoji.
Yamal is showing signs of being a future Ballon d’Or winner and winning the treble this season. He would break the record as the youngest player to win the award after former Brazil striker Ronaldo, who won the award in 1997 at the age of 21 years and 96 days.
The young Spaniard has plenty of time to take Ronaldo’s record as youngest Ballon d’Or winner.
How Yamal compares to Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age
Yamal has scored 22 goals for Barcelona since bursting onto the scene and making his debut aged 15 years, 9 months and 16 days.
The Spain international has also registered 33 assists in his first 100 games for Barca.
That record completely demolishes what Cristiano Ronaldo had achieved at the same age.
At 17, the United legend was breaking through at Sporting CP, having played 19 games, scoring five gaols and registering four assists.
Ronaldo would move to Old Trafford a year later, before blossoming into a world-beater under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Only time will tell if Yamal becomes half the player Ronaldo was at his peak.
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