Inter coach Inzaghi praises Lamine Yamal after Champions League display: ‘A player who comes around every 50 years’

Lamine Yamal continues to prove he’s one of the brightest young stars in world football with a standout performance against Inter Milan in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. After the match, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi was full of praise for the FC Barcelona phenom, calling him “a player who comes around every 50 years.”

The clash between Barcelona and Inter lived up to the hype as one of the most anticipated matches of the season. With a goal in the opening 30 seconds, a disallowed strike, and even an own goal, the game delivered end-to-end drama in a thrilling 3–3 draw. In the aftermath, Inzaghi singled out Yamal’s performance, calling him a rare talent.

“I saw a player unlike any I’ve seen in the past 8–9 years. Doubling up on Yamal wasn’t enough, so we were forced to drop deeper. Then, of course, he faded a bit and we played a second half of extremely high quality,” the coach stated in the post-match press conference.

Later, speaking with Sky Sports, the Italian coach was asked about Yamal’s impact—having scored and threatened constantly throughout the match—and he didn’t hold back: “He’s the kind of player that comes around every 50 years.”

Inzaghi also noted that it was the first time he had watched Yamal live, and the impression left by the 17-year-old was nothing short of “mind-blowing.” With this match marking Yamal’s 100th appearance for Barcelona, his rapid rise continues to spark Ballon d’Or discussions.

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Inzaghi reflects on dramatic draw against Barcelona

Despite jumping to a 2–0 lead, Inter were unable to hold off Barcelona’s comeback. With the first leg ending in a 3–3 draw, the series remains wide open heading into the return leg at the Giuseppe Meazza.

“I feel an enormous sense of satisfaction. We played a great match—took a two-goal lead—and then had a goal disallowed that I still don’t understand. We’re fully aware that we played an excellent game against what I believe is the best team in the world—the most attacking team out there.

“Thuram didn’t even shoot in training to recover, Dumfries only played 25 minutes against Roma, and today they did very well. And on top of that, we had a great injection of talent from those who came off the bench,” the Inter boss said, praising his players for their commitment and resilience. The second leg of the Champions League semifinal is set for Tuesday at the Giuseppe Meazza, a match Inzaghi is already calling “a final.”