In the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final matchup against Inter Milan, Barcelona young winger showed heart, skill, and unending energy.
Lamine Yamal, at just 17, gave the Inter Milan defense a headache from the opening whistle and was getting entries in the final third and running directly at Inter’s defenders.
Only heartbreak awaited Barcelona after the match, but the winger’s performance was a ray of positivity for fans as he demonstrated he is already amongst the most dangerous players on the squad.
The teenager’s energy and quickness forced Inter to double up on him, while he continued to evade the mark and find space against double coverage.
From a basic run in the first half to a near-miss with a shot that was thwarted in the air by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer or hit the back post, he was in the thick of it all.
His execution ability under duress while in an important match provided some insight into his potential as a future star.
But in the 68th minute – with the score locked at 2-2 – the critical moment in the match came with an extremely controversial decision when Barcelona was denied an obvious penalty.
However, the VAR intervened, and, without going over to the monitor, the referee Szymon Marciniak changed his mind.
The foul was initiated outside the box, but the player was brought down inside the box where the final contact was made, meaning it was a penalty kick according to the Laws of the Game.
Instead, a free-kick was given, and a rehearsed routine ended with a shot that was saved by Sommer, possibly even with a slight deflection.
The feeling of injustice in the Barcelona camp remained even as the minutes ticked down.
The young star’s brilliance couldn’t motivate Barcelona to claim the victory, but his display highlighted his developing importance within the team and that the fans could be optimistic about what lies ahead.
🖥️💥 Gravísimo error del VAR en la acción entre Mkhitaryan y Lamine Yamal.
👉🏻 Se producen dos contactos en la acción, uno fuera del área y un segundo sobre la línea.
❌ ES PENALTI.
▪️ Marciniak señaló correctamente el penalti pero Dennis Higler, en el VAR, cambió su decisión. pic.twitter.com/HWiyMrX3CJ
— Archivo VAR (@ArchivoVAR) May 6, 2025
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