'He's like Neymar, not Messi' — Barcelona captain describes Euros winning star

Barcelona star forward Raphinha has redirected the comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi, as he believes the 17-year-old sensational is more similar to his compatriot Neymar. 

Since Yamal's meteoric rise, he has inevitably been compared to the Argentina national team captain Messi. 

The Spain international shares many similarities with the 37-year-old: both players are dominantly left-footed, both reached world-class levels at teen ages and were also educated at La Masia. 

Hence, it has been almost unavoidable for parallels to be drawn between both players. However, Raphinha, who is one of Barcelona's captains, sees it differently. 

Raphinha and Yamal have both been exceptional for the Blaugrana this season. Along with Robert Lewandowski, they have created a formidable front three under Hansi Flick, with each of the trio winning one of each of the three LALIGA Player of the Month awards this season. 

To Raphinha, Yamal is more similar to his international teammate Neymar, as, like the Brazilian, his strength is in his dribbling. 

"Is Lamine following Messi’s footsteps? I see him more like Neymar. His dribbles, how quickly he thinks of dribbles… When you think you can steal the ball from him, he does something you’ve never seen in your life.”

Yamal and Raphinha both scored in the 4-0 drubbing of Real Madrid last weekend. They will both be expected to start later today when Barcelona host crosstown rivals Espanyol.