By John Ogunsemore
Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick has heaped praises on wonderkid, Lamine Yamal whose captivating display saved the Catalan club from a home defeat to Inter Milan in the UCL semi-final first leg encounter on Wednesday night.
A clever Marcus Thuram flick put Inter ahead in the first minute before Denzel Dumfries doubled the lead in the 21st minute with an acrobatic display after a poorly-cleared corner.
Yamal pulled one back for Barcelona in the 24th minute, shaking off two defenders before curling the ball into the side of the net.
The 17-year-old was the orchestrator for Barcelona’s second, floating a titillating pass to Raphinha that was coolly dropped for Ferran Torres to slot home.
Dumfries again headed Simone Inzaghi’s wards into the lead in the 64th minute before a powerful strike from Raphinha bounced off the crossbar and ricocheted off Inter’s goalie, Yann Sommer to bounce into the net.
Speaking after the game, Flick praised the team’s collective effort to recover from a two-goal deficit, singling out Yamal for inspiring the sensational comeback.
“We didn’t start well. We conceded two goals but then came back. We had ups and downs in the second half. It was spectacular for the fans. It’s the first of two matches. We have to win in Milan. It’s a final before the final,” the German tactician stated after the game.
Flick added, “We’re talking about a Champions League semi-final. They’re great teams. They have experience. They showed it today. They had an advantage on set pieces. Four or five very tall players, and they took advantage of that.
“Lamine showed us the way. That 1-2 finish was very important. I’m happy with the team. We’ve done a good job and we have to keep fighting.”