Liao Praises Barça Star/ 'I Am Captivated by Yamal, I Hope He Wins the Ballon d'Or'

Galatasaray's Portuguese striker praised Lamine Yamal, his rival who changed the course of the match in Istanbul.

According to "Varzeh Se", despite Galatasaray's home defeat against Barcelona (4-1) in Istanbul, Rafael Liao was one of the most important pieces of the Turkish team and even played a role in the scene of his team scoring the single goal that opened the result.

The 27-year-old Portuguese international and his team finally had to bow down to another brilliant night from Lamine Yamal, who changed the course of the game by recording two assists in the second half.

At the end of the match, the Portuguese striker, on the eve of the Ballon d'Or award, was full of praise for the young Catalan star, who was named the best player on the pitch.

Speaking to TNT Sports Brazil, Liao said: "I hope Lamine Yamal wins the Ballon d'Or and major trophies with Barca. According to his performance at this age, he is among the best players in the world. He is a player that I like very much, both as a footballer and as a very humble person. "He is at a wonderful club that I love very much, with good players."

After a first half in which Liao's Galatasaray caused serious problems for Flick's team, the second half was dominated by the talent of Lamine Yamal. The young Spanish winger upset the balance of the game by sending assists to Fermin Lopez and Anthony Gordon.