Attention Milan, Lamine Yamal is coming

Lamine Yamal is the inspiration of Barcelona.

No need for seatbelts when crossing the streets of Milan these days. You have the pre-match nerves to stay awake. Every street corner, every cafe, every taxi ride is steeped in one name: Lamine Yamal.

When Lamine Yamal took over the airwaves

The Italian press, which worships the art of defending like a religion, devoted 11 pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport to analyzing how to stop this “old kid”, a kid who has just reached 100 appearances for Barcelona at an age when most of us are still struggling with algebra.

"Inter's plan for Yamal... confinement, speed and patience," they wrote. Yes, it took three players to tackle one boy. And as if that wasn't ironic enough, Inter also considered deploying full-backs Di Marco and Carlos Augusto on the left flank just to deal with Yamal.

“Does that mean I’m out?” asked Alessandro Bastoni, the left-back, with a wry sense of humour. Everyone laughed, but it sounded like the cries of cornered animals.

It was fascinating to see how a whole city trembled at the sight of a player who was barely old enough to enjoy a glass of Italian wine. While Barcelona had a star-studded squad with Raphinha, Pedri and Olmo, none of them received the same “special attention” as Yamal. Three men to one man – that was not respect, that was naked fear.

Olmo, when asked about the possibility of his team-mate being closely marked by two Inter players, corrected himself: "Read the papers, mate, it's three, not two!" And he added with a mischievous smile: "That means we'll have a free player." Clever, as if Barcelona had anticipated this tactic and were waiting to counter-attack.

Lamine Yamal really stirred up Inter Milan's defense in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

The Milan sky was overcast and the rain slid across the rough pavements the way Yamal glided past defenders. This was no longer about tactics but about pure excitement. The first leg was, as the Spanish press rightly called it: "Loco!" - Crazy! A match that resembled "two drunks fighting in a tapas bar at 2am". Great entertainment? Yes. Great defending? No.

Barcelona's high defensive play was a big gamble, and they were lucky to escape Inter's knife several times. Only because of an offside situation, a few missed shots.

Hansi Flick, when asked about the tactical flaws in the first leg, was unhappy to admit: "We have to adjust some things". But he immediately returned to the subject of Yamal: "Lamine is a genius. What he does with the ball is incredible. Every pass has precision and the right direction".

A memorable Milan night

As Barcelona trained at Giuseppe Meazza in the rain, journalists caught a glimpse of Lamine Yamal still smiling, still happy to play football. A delicate turn with Pedri and De Jong made both teammates and reporters smile in admiration. However, the Italian reporters did not seem very comfortable.

Meanwhile, Inter are celebrating the return of Lautaro Martinez, who was forced off early in the first leg. The Gazzetta front page cheered: "Inter - here I am!". It's as if Martinez is the answer to Yamal. But will "El Toro" be strong enough to stop this 17-year-old whirlwind?

Inter Milan will need to take good care of Lamine Yamal.

There is no denying that tonight’s Meazza will be a memorable spectacle. Not for tactical ingenuity or academic football, but for the beautiful chaos of two teams that dare to attack and don’t know how to defend. In that chaos, it is the moments of individual genius that will shine.

The Gazzetta article ended with a call to action: "It is important to know how to open your eyes beyond Yamal's fangs. Then there will be enough to knock down all of Barcelona and head towards a great night in Munich."

But when a 17-year-old boy sends a historic city like Milan into a tactical panic, perhaps we are witnessing not just a great night in Italy, but the birth of a legend - a player who will not only become great, but perhaps one day be the greatest.

Source: https://znews.vn/milan-chu-y-lamine-yamal-dang-toi-post1551340.html