Vincent Kompany in awe of 'exceptional' Barcelona for finding Lionel Messi 'replacement' Lamine Yamal so quickly - but Bayern Munich boss not focusing on Spain wonderkid ahead of Champions League clash

Messi's departure from Camp Nou in 2021 created a big void at Barcelona, however, the club have somewhat recovered from the setback within the last two years, largely thanks to the emergence of Yamal. The Spain wonderkid has had a big impact in club and international football and is now a talismanic figure for Barca under Hansi Flick.

Ahead of their midweek Champions League clash against the Catalan giants, Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany heaped praise on Barca's La Masia academy for identifying a talent like Yamal, who he believes is already following in Messi's footsteps.

Speaking to reporters, Kompany said: "It's exceptional for Barça as a club [to have Yamal] so shortly after the departure of a player like Messi. For my generation, Messi was one of the key figures of our era. To shortly after this player leaving already have potentially a player who can replace him is quite unique. Full credit to [Barça's academy] La Masia for always trusting these players and giving them the chance.

However, the Bayern boss also insisted that his team won't fall into the trap of only focusing on Yamal, adding: "The question for us is not about stopping [Yamal], but trying to win a game against Barcelona, which means [stopping] all the players, not one. The focus is on the team, not one player, but he's an exceptional player."

After travelling to Catalunya to face Flick's side on Wednesday in the Champions League, Kompany's in-form Bayern side will be back in action in the Bundesliga on Sunday as they take on VFL Bochum. Barca, meanwhile, will face Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season a day earlier.