Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan has urged his teammates to go all out in their efforts to contain Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal during the Champions League semi-final’s second leg at the San Siro this Tuesday.
The 17-year-old sensation, Yamal, captivated the Montjuic crowd with a stunning goal and a fearless display, playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s thrilling 3-3 comeback draw in the first leg.
Bastoni, a 25-year-old centre-back who faced Yamal at last year’s European Championship when Spain defeated Italy 1-0, has praised the young player’s impressive development.
“I had the opportunity to compete against him with Spain, and he wasn’t quite at this level back then,” Bastoni shared in a press conference on Monday.
“I’m genuinely impressed by the standard he’s reached at such a young age; he can create remarkable moments on the field. I believe he ranks among the best in the world at this moment.”
“We will need to closely mark him, potentially even double or triple-team him like we did at times in the first leg, but we must be cautious not to overdo it, or else we may leave too many gaps. Barcelona has more to offer than just Yamal.”
The exhilarating first leg, filled with dramatic twists and Yamal’s record-setting achievements, has set up a scenario that Bastoni likened to “game seven of the NBA finals.”
“It’s 50-50, all to play for, and I expect a match similar to the first leg, which is why I’m glad we’ll be playing in front of our fans,” Bastoni remarked.
“I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come. We’re just two matches away from winning the Champions League. It’s our objective, and we genuinely want to put in a strong showing to delight our supporters.”
“We’re confident that our fans will provide us with a tremendous boost at the San Siro; we thrive on moments like this.”
Pavard and Martinez Injury Concerns
Inter’s head coach, Simone Inzaghi, concurred with Bastoni, indicating that their defensive game plan will centre around neutralising Yamal.
“Marking Yamal is extremely challenging; we’ll need to minimise his touches, but that’s near impossible in modern football,” Inzaghi remarked.
“He will be closely marked and likely double-covered, and we’ll have to exercise caution. However, as I’ve mentioned after the first leg, witnessing his talent firsthand was striking; at his age, he poses a significant threat.”
“In challenging situations, he becomes the focal point; I was taken aback by his quick decision-making. When he gets the ball, he instinctively knows his next move.”
Inzaghi also revealed that the fitness of injured defender Benjamin Pavard and captain Lautaro Martinez is still uncertain.
“We’ll assess the situations with Lautaro and Pavard, together with the medical staff and the players. They must inform me how they are feeling,” Inzaghi stated.
“On Sunday, Pavard took part in the initial phase of training and seemed fine. Lautaro hasn’t trained since the Barcelona match, so we’ll see how he progresses today.”
Stay tuned for updates on the second leg between Inter and Barcelona.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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