Barca's Olmo labels Yamal-Messi comparisons 'crazy'

On Tuesday, Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo described it as "crazy" to draw parallels between teenage winger Lamine Yamal and the club's iconic Lionel Messi.

Just like Barca's record-breaking scorer Messi, Yamal emerged from the prestigious La Masia academy and regularly faces links to the Argentine icon, though he works to tone down such talk.

The 18-year-old Yamal delivered a stunning overhead goal on Sunday, aiding Barcelona's 3-0 triumph over Real Oviedo and propelling them to the summit of La Liga.

"I feel Lamine follows his own route and gets it. It's wild to liken any modern player to Messi," Olmo shared at a press briefing before Barcelona's Champions League encounter with Copenhagen on Wednesday.

"Lamine offers a 'spectacle'; he's so youthful, the impact he's having right now is astonishing, and it'll grow even greater ahead."

Yamal first featured for Barcelona aged 15 and has smashed multiple milestones in his initial years, notably as La Liga's youngest goalscorer.

The forward helped Spain claim the Euro 2024 title and proved essential to Barca's push to the Champions League semi-finals in the prior campaign.

"(Yamal) stays poised with his clear direction and mindset. We'll back him every step; that's our role," Olmo went on.

"In the end, it's a team effort. If Lamine excels, triumphs, and nets goals, the squad as a whole succeeds."

Barcelona welcome Copenhagen on Wednesday, aiming for victory while relying on helpful scores elsewhere to lock in a top-eight league phase finish for straight advancement to the knockout stage's last 16.

The La Liga holders must cope without sidelined midfielder Pedri Gonzalez and disqualified Frenkie de Jong, yet Ferran Torres might rejoin post-injury, manager Hansi Flick noted.

"We must tackle this fixture with respect for Copenhagen; their lineup is excellent, so we need to deliver our finest," Flick commented.

"A strong shot exists to secure that top-eight spot, and we'll push hard to grab it."