Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez has said there’s no comparison between Barca legend Lionel Messi and rising star Lamine Yamal.
The striker was speaking ahead of the semifinal first leg of the UEFA Champions League between his team and Barcelona on Wednesday.
While insisting that Inter must respect the achievements and attacking qualities brought by Yamal, the Nerazzurri captain insists there is ‘no comparison’ between the teenage sensation and Messi.
The first leg of the clash is scheduled for Camp Nou, which will kick off at 20.00 BST on Wednesday night, and the reverse fixture will be in San Siro next Tuesday.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, Martinez, who has played with and against Messi on several occasions, said Messi remains the best player of all time.
“I won’t make any comparison, all I will say is that Lamine is a powerful player. He’s won a lot for his age; he’s won with the national team. We have to respect him; he’s a great player with a great future.”
Giving an analysis of Inter’s success over the last few seasons, the skipper expressed delight in their achievements, which have seen them being involved in two semifinals in the Champions League in three years, which has not happened in many years.
He said the Nerazurri want to work hard and make their fans’ dream of another Champions League final come true.
“We’re focused on facing a great rival. Things can happen at this stage of the season. We did a great job until last week. We hadn’t lost for a long time, but the group is fine, we were united. The key for me is that we have a solid, strong group. We’re ready for tomorrow.”
Pointing out Barca’s offensive potential, Martinez expects his colleagues to do a great job defensively on a collective level.
Having defended very well against the big teams in this competition, Martinez expects them to work hard as a group and try not to concede.
He further stated that they need to ensure compactness to secure a victory at the Camp Nou.
Inter are going into the clash on the back of three straight defeats in the Serie A, which they are now second, a semifinals exit in the Coppa Italia against AC Milan.
Despite their present form, the skipper said Inter have recovered energy and are excited to play this match.
