Lamine Yamal – Barcelona’s 17-year-old talent – has wowed the football world with his outstanding performance in the 3-1 win over Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16.

Not only scoring and assisting, Yamal also recreated a classic dribbling moment performed by Lionel Messi in 2015, when he sent the opposing defender sprawling on the field, recalling the image of the Argentine legend defeating Jerome Boateng in fans’ memories.

The match at the Olímpic Lluís Companys Stadium saw Yamal explode from the very beginning. In the 11th minute, he received the ball in midfield, confidently dribbled past two Benfica players with a skillful turn, before sending a diagonal pass to Raphinha to tap in from close range to open the scoring. Although this move was initially revealed by Yamal as a missed shot that turned into an assist, his creativity and vision still reminded viewers of the style of the legendary Messi.

Yamal’s dribble before scoring was reminiscent of the 2015 Champions League semi-final between Barca and Bayern Munich, when Messi sent Jerome Boateng tumbling with a sublime stepover, before effortlessly chipping the ball past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for one of the most iconic goals of the tournament. While Yamal didn’t finish the move himself like Messi, his move to throw his opponent off balance was still very much a “Pulga” move. Both displayed confidence, technical skill and the ability to turn seemingly simple situations into masterpieces.

But the moment that truly defined Yamal’s performance came in the 27th minute. Receiving the ball on the right flank, he dribbled past defender Samuel Dahl with a deft touch, cut inside and curled the ball into the far corner with his left foot. The effort, both gentle and tricky, not only restored Barca’s lead but also revived memories of Messi.

Not only did he draw comparisons with Messi, Yamal also made history. With his goal and assist against Benfica, he became the youngest player in Champions League history to achieve this feat in a single match, at the age of 17 years and 241 days, breaking Breel Embolo’s record. What’s more interesting is that Yamal performed this masterpiece with torn boots, forcing him to change his boots immediately afterwards. On social media, fans were surprised: “Lamine Yamal scored and assisted with torn boots, unbelievable!” His brilliance was also honored by his teammates when Raphinha knelt down to “clean his boots” for his junior – a gesture of gratitude for Yamal’s talent beyond his years.

This performance not only helped Barca advance to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate score, but also confirmed Yamal as a rising star of world football. Former coach Glenn Hoddle exclaimed: “Yamal is so young but has played so well. How high will he reach when he reaches his peak?” With torn shoes and lightning-fast runs, Yamal is continuing his magical story, reminiscent of the image of Messi who has captivated generations of Cules.

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