Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal brushes off comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi following his performance in the Champions League.

Lamine Yamal has firmly dismissed any comparisons to footballing legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi following his dazzling display in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Internazionale.

The young star has netted 22 goals in just 100 appearances for Barcelona, a remarkable feat that overshadows Messi’s solitary goal in nine outings and Ronaldo’s five goals in 19 matches at the same age.

When faced with the inevitable comparisons, Yamal told TNT Sports: “I try to forge my own path; I try to play the way I know how and not think about anything. I think that’s the trick, that’s the secret, to try to do my best and not compare myself with anyone. I’m following my path, giving my all, and it’s been working out for me so far, but I still haven’t achieved anything. I’ll try to play the same or better in the second leg and hopefully we’ll win.”

Despite Yamal’s brilliance, the tie remains finely balanced after a ruthless Inter side capitalised on a series of defensive errors from Barcelona, scoring three goals through Marcus Thuram and a brace from Denzel Dumfries.

Reflecting on the match, Yamal stated: “I think, overall, we were better, but we made mistakes, and if you make mistakes in games as big as this, that’s what happens. At the end of the day, it’s an elite-level game. Inter are a top team and they didn’t let us off the hook. We need to correct our mistakes and give our all in the second leg.”

Yamal’s goal came after Simone Inzaghi’s side had taken a surprising 2-0 lead. The young talent jinked his way into the box before unleashing a stunning left-footed finish that struck the inside of the post. When asked if it was easy to score such a goal, he replied: “No, at that moment, as I always say, we play with heart and always try to stage a comeback, which has been working for us. So, I don’t think about the opponent; I think about doing the best I can and that’s why that move came off.”

A victory at San Siro next Tuesday would set Hansi Flick’s side on course for a sixth European Cup at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31. When questioned about his team’s chances in the competition, Yamal confidently stated: “Yes, I trust my team. I have always trusted them since the start of the season. I think we can do it, we have the ability, we’re much better, so we just have to fix our mistakes, give our all for the fans and for the shirt, and I think we can win it.”