Inter star snubs Messi, Ronaldo, names Barcelona's ace as best player he faced

Inter star snubs Messi, Ronaldo, names Barcelona's ace as best player he faced

Faruq Ibrahim 22:37 - 05.05.2025

Lamine Yamal earned high praise from Inter Milan defender Alessandro

Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni continued his high praise of Lamine Yamal, dubbing him as probably that toughest opponent he ever faced.

The 26-year-old centre back is one of the best defenders around and has squared up against the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Still, he is awestruck by Yamal.

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Yamal vs Bastoni

Barcelona face Inter in the second leg of their Champions League clash on Tuesday after a pulsating 3-3 draw in the first leg. While Inter’s Denzel Dumfries won the official Man of the Match for his brace and an assist, Yamal grabbed the headlines for his spellbinding performance.

The teenager was magisterial, almost single-handedly keeping the Blaugrana in the contest. Inter had to mark him with multiple players, still he was effective.

The first leg Champions League semi-final clash was not the first time Bastoni was on the receiving end of a excellent Lamine Yamal performance, as the Barcelona star was brilliant in the Euros when Spain beat Italy at the Group Stage level.

What Bastoni said

Asked if Yamal is already one of the best footballers he ever faced, he said, “I think so. I had faced him at the Euros against Spain, and he wasn’t at this level yet. I was impressed by how much he has improved,” per TMW, via Football Italia.

“I’ve played against many top players, and in terms of age and ability to create something, he’s one of the best, if not the very best.”

Meanwhile, Inter's coach Simone Inzaghi also fawned over Lamine Yamal, revealing that for the second leg, they plan to mark him out with two or more players.

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