The legend of Lamine Yamal continues to grow on a near daily basis.
The 17-year-old wunderkind made his 100th appearance for Barcelona on Wednesday during the club’s UEFA Champions League semifinal match against Inter Milan, and he was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch across the 90 minutes of action.
Real Madrid aren’t present to spoil this season’s Champions League party, with the holders and 15-time winners failing to reach the semi-finals of the latest iteration.
As a result, there’s a sense of novelty surrounding this year’s final four even if each of the remaining teams rank among the very best on the continent.
Arsenal’s matchup with Paris Saint-Germain means we’re guaranteed a non-winner in the final next month, while Barcelona and Inter are each aiming to end briefer continental droughts.
PSG visit the Emirates for the second time this season after losing 2-0 in north London at the start of the league phase back in October.
Arsenal cruised beyond their opponents that night, overwhelming the visitors with their physicality and fluidity in the build-up phase.
However, Luis Enrique’s side have evolved considerably since. They were crowned Ligue 1 champions at the start of April and have knocked out two Premier League opponents to reach this stage.
Enrique has brought about majestic cohesion to the French capital in the absence of Kylian Mbappe, but his team are facing up against the stiffest of units without the ball.