Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal made history on Wednesday night as he became the youngest player to score in a UEFA Champions League semi-final, helping his side secure a dramatic 3-3 draw against Inter Milan at the Estadi Olímpic.
Of Equatorial Guinean and Moroccan descent, the 17-year-old was the standout performer in a pulsating first leg clash that saw Barcelona fight back from a two-goal deficit to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Inter Milan struck early through Marcus Thuram’s inventive flick, followed by a Denzel Dumfries acrobatic finish to stun the home crowd within the opening 25 minutes.
But Yamal gave the Catalans hope, gliding past defenders to curl in a superb goal via the post and spark life into Barcelona’s performance.
It was a historic moment, eclipsing Kylian Mbappé’s long-standing record as the youngest scorer in a Champions League semi-final.
Yamal nearly added another minutes later, forcing a save from Yann Sommer that rattled the bar.
Barcelona drew level before the break through Ferran Torres after a flowing team move, but Inter regained the lead in the second half thanks to Dumfries’ header from a corner.
However, the hosts responded almost immediately, with Raphinha’s powerful strike rebounding off the bar and into the net via Sommer.
Yamal remained a constant threat and came close again in the dying stages, only to be denied by the woodwork once more.
Inter also had a late goal ruled out for offside, leaving both sides to settle for a high-octane draw.
The two teams will meet again next week at San Siro next Tuesday, with the tie finely balanced and all to play for.
