Thierry Henry: Lamine Yamal played like a man possessed

Liam Williams Published: 01 May 25 08:13

Thierry Henry has heaped praise on Lamine Yamal after his showstopping display against Inter in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

The tie is finely poised after Barcelona came from 2-0 and 3-2 down to draw with the visitors, and while Yamal might have been disappointed not to take a lead to the San Siro, he more than played his part in what is already being described as the game of the season.

Yamal scored Barca’s first to get them back into the tie and took centre stage in the absence of Robert Lewandowski with a performance that will be talked about for years to come.

Henry, who won the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, was blown away by the performance, saying the 17-year-old played like ‘a man possessed’.

“What I’ve witnessed tonight from Lamine Yamal, it’s not normal to be like that at 17,” said Henry on CBS Sports. “I’m not talking about what he does on the ball [but] his awareness, how calm he is, the way he sees the game, the way he will defend, put pressure [on], it’s just not normal.

“We talked about the 100 games that he already has, it’s just stupid really. I don’t even know what I’m watching, but he played like a man possessed, and when I say a man, he’s not even a man yet.”

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher agreed, saying: “That first-half performance was Messi-esque, that was like watching Messi in his heyday, the whole game almost stopping to see what he’s going to do.”

Despite Raphinha assisting Barcelona’s first equaliser of the night and only being credited with an assist for their second equaliser with a 20-yard effort that cannoned in off the crossbar and then goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Yamal has been installed as the new favourite for the Ballon d’Or at 6/4.

While that may depend on Barcelona’s success in the UEFA Champions League, there is now a strong argument to suggest that Yamal is the man who will inherit the crown as the world’s undisputed best player from Messi.

Carragher added: “I’m not saying he’s better than Mbappe now, but there’s more to it. When I’m talking about Messi, I don’t think Mbappe’s ever going to be that. He’s devasting because of his pace and the goals, whereas [Yamal is about] beating men in small areas of the pitch.”

You can see all the latest UEFA Champions League odds on our dedicated UEFA Champions League hub.