Hansi Flick hailed Lamine Yamal after the teenage prodigy produced a scintillating display as Barcelona twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Inter Milan in an exhilarating Champions League semi-final first leg at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
The 17-year-old, making his 100th Barcelona appearance, scored a sublime solo effort and twice hit the crossbar on a night when the two teams traded stunning goals and Marcus Thuram and Raphinha both made history.
“Lamine has shown us the path we should follow,” said Flick after the game.
“I’m very happy with the team. We must keep fighting until the end.”
Just imagine these two in the same side 💭 pic.twitter.com/vV98Euygda
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Thuram struck the fasted goal in Champions League semi-final history when he found the net with an audacious back-heel flick after just 30 seconds.
Denzel Dumfries then doubled Inter’s advantage with an equally impressive over-head kick before Yamal halved the deficit when he danced through the Inter team and curled an effort into the far corner.
The fledgling winger was in inspired form. Ferran Torres levelled shortly before the break from a Raphinha header as the Brazilian 20th Champions League goal contribution this term saw him eclipse Lionel Messi for most in a single season for the Catalan club.
Dumfries reclaimed Inter’s lead in the second-half but Flick’s side again hit back through a fierce Raphinha strike that hit the bar before clipping Yann Sommer on its way in.
Simone Inzaghi’s side then had a goal ruled out for offside but it was a night that belonged to Yamal as Barcelona’s hopes for a treble-winning season remain in tact.
Flick, however, acknowledged the threat their semi-final opponents from Italy pose.
“We’re talking about a Champions League semi-final,” said the Barca boss.
“The teams are great. They [Inter] have experience, and they showed it today. They had an advantage in set-piece situations, with four or five tall players, and they took advantage of it.
“In the first half we had ups and downs, and the second half was spectacular. In Milan, we’ll play a final before the final.”
Flick and his team travel to San Siro to play Inter in the second-leg on Tuesday.
