Lamine Yamal has gone from a promising young talent to one of the best players in the world in a very short time. A former Barcelona player like Ronald de Boer even placed him ahead of Raphinha, Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius.
De Boer said this during the ‘Legends Trophy’ in Milan: “Yamal is the most decisive player in the world, especially for his age. He’s incredible. I also like Raphinha, Mbappé and Vinicius. There are many good players, I saw a few at Bayern Munich. But if I must choose one, I pick him.”
De Boer played just one season for Barcelona in a long career that also saw him spend many years with a strong Netherlands team. Even though he only won La Liga with the club in 1999, he also has a Champions League title with Ajax.
De Boer previews Barcelona – Atletico Madrid
While players are now in the international break, what comes after that with their clubs looks huge for everyone involved in important matches. The quarterfinals of the Champions League include some interesting ties, but Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid may be the most heated.
De Boer played one year for Barcelona (Nuno Correia/Getty Images)
The Spanish clubs are renewing what was a dramatic Copa del Rey semifinal in which Barcelona almost came back from a 4-0 first-leg defeat before ultimately being eliminated by just one goal.
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De Boer said: “It’s going to be very hard for Barcelona. Playing against Atletico Madrid is always hard. Barcelona must do their own game in both matches. I think they can win both matches if they are in shape and concentrated. With my Blaugrana heart, I cheer for them.”
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid is set
If there were no surprises the round of 16, there were some potential classics to be seen in the quarterfinals. In the end, all the teams expected to advance did so. That left Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. The first match is set for April 8 in Barcelona, while the second leg should come on April 14 in Madrid.
