Lamine Yamal addresses Lionel Messi comparisons after helping Barcelona win La Liga
Barcelona attacker Lamine Yamal dismissed comparisons with club legend Lionel Messi after the club sealed a 28th La Liga title with a 2-0 victory at Espanyol on Thursday (May 15). Yamal had a role in both goals.
Following a goalless first period at the RCDE Stadium, the 17-year-old broke the deadlock with a superb strike eight minutes into the second period. Five minutes into stoppage time, the Euro 2024 winner set up Fermin Lopez to rubberstamp Barca's win, confirming their league triumph.
Yamal has played a stellar role in Barca's La Liga win, contributing eight goals and 15 assists in 33 games. However, the teenage sensation dismissed comparisons with Messi. He said, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, lavishing high praise on the Argentine:
“I’d never compare me with Messi. … Leo is the best player ever”.
Lionel Messi, 37, is a bonafide legend, widely regarded as one of the best of all time. In 17 glorious seasons at the club, the Argentine racked up 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 games across competitions, all leading tallies for Barca, winning a plethora of big titles, like 10 La Liga and four UEFA Champions League honours.
Yamal, meanwhile, has played a stellar role in Hansi Flick's side stellar campaign, scoring in four different competitions, with Barca winning three. Apart from their La Liga triumph, they also won the Supercopa Espana and the Copa del Rey, beating arch-rivals Real Madrid in both finals.
The youngster also had five goals and four assists in 13 games in the UEFA Champions League, where Barca were minutes away from a place in the final before losing 4-3 in extra time to Inter Milan, losing 7-6 on aggregate.
What Hansi Flick said after Lionel Messi's former club Barcelona's La Liga win
Barcelona have had a superb season under Hansi Flick, winning three of four possible titles, including a domestic double, having come within a whisker of reaching the UEFA Champions League final as well.
Following the win over Espanyol, Flick told Movistar Plus (as per the BBC) that Barcelona exuded positivity in their thoughts and in training sessions as he reflected on a superb campaign.
"We've always thought positively, and we could feel it looking at training sessions. At Barca, you have to win titles, and three titles is just great.
"It's always important to be mentally strong. That is what we looked for throughout the year. Winning the Super Cup in January gave us confidence. It was great to see how the players have reached their highest level, and others have improved."
Lionel Messi's former club were in contention for a third continental treble as they recovered from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 at Inter Milan, 6-5 on aggregate, with three minutes left in regulation time in the Champions League semi-final second leg.
