Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo has dismissed comparisons between teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and club legend Lionel Messi, describing them as “crazy” ahead of the team’s Champions League clash with FC Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Yamal, like Messi, emerged from Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and has frequently been likened to the Argentine great. However, Olmo believes such parallels place unnecessary pressure on the young winger.

“I think Lamine has his own path, and he knows it,” Olmo said at a press conference on Tuesday. “Comparing any player today with Messi is crazy. Lamine is a spectacle. He’s very young, what he’s giving us now is incredible, and in the future it will be even more.”

The 18-year-old continued his impressive rise on Sunday by scoring a stunning acrobatic goal in Barcelona’s 3–0 victory over Real Oviedo, a result that lifted the club to the top of LaLiga.

Yamal made his first-team debut at just 15 and has since broken several records, including becoming the youngest goalscorer in LaLiga history. He also played a key role in Spain’s triumph at EURO 2024 and was instrumental in Barcelona’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season.

Olmo praised Yamal’s maturity and mindset, emphasizing the team’s responsibility to support his development.

“He’s calm, he has his own ideas and his own direction,” Olmo added. “We’re here to help him, that’s our job. In the end, it’s a collective effort. If Lamine plays well, scores goals, and wins matches, the whole team benefits.”

Barcelona host Copenhagen knowing that a victory, combined with favorable results elsewhere, could secure a top-eight finish in the league phase and automatic qualification for the last 16.

Head coach Hansi Flick confirmed that the Spanish champions will be without injured midfielder Pedri González and suspended Frenkie de Jong, although Ferran Torres could return after recovering from injury.

“We have to respect Copenhagen,” Flick said. “They are a fantastic team and play at a very high level. We have a big chance to finish in the top eight, and we will do everything we can to achieve it.”