In the face of unrelenting, undiluted praise, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick challenged Lamine Yamal to “keep going”.

The teenage starlet certainly took that advice when it came to his one-on-one duels with Inter left wing-back Federico Dimarco during Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg. Undeterred by falling behind to a pair of early goals, Yamal bent in a stunning strike as Barcelona twice came from behind to battle out a mesmeric 3-3 draw.

Marcus Thuram scored the fastest semi-final goal in Champions League history, Denzel Dumfries speared in a scissor kick and Raphinha surpassed another staggering milestone, yet the night belonged to the blonde-haired 17-year-old.

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi, treated to his first sight of Yamal in the flesh, dubbed him “a phenomenon born every 50 years”.

“We could even have won this game against a team who have a player who is difficult to stop,” Inzaghi shrugged. “We started well, but they created a lot of problems: he created a lot of problems. He is a player I had not seen live before. We had to double up on him.”

The admiration wasn’t restricted to those in the stadium. Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho hailed Yamal as the “best player in the world” while his Manchester City counterpart, Erling Haaland, took to social media to coo: “This guy is incredible.”

Flick did his best to quell the swell of praise lavished upon his teenage prodigy. “At 17 years old, he’s an unbelievable player and for me the important thing is he keeps going,” the Barcelona boss insisted, before quickly giving into the hyperbole himself.

“I think he’s special. I said it, often before, he’s a genius,” Flick grinned. “He was so important for us in the first half. He created a lot of things and scored the first goal. You know, I know, everyone knows, and after today, that he is a fantastic player.

“He does it always in the big games. In the big matches like the semi-final today, he shows how good he is. This is what we want and need from him. He’s always there. He has to enjoy it too. I am really happy that this talent who comes every 50 years plays for Barcelona.”

Yamal, for his part, isn’t getting carried away just yet. “I try to enjoy myself, I think that’s the secret,” he told CBS Sports after becoming the youngest semi-final goalscorer in Champions League history. “I don’t think about anything and just play the football I have and try to make sure people enjoy watching a game. I haven’t done anything yet; I have a lot to do, and I hope it continues like this.”