Barcelona's fearsome attack against Inter's tough defense in the Champions League semi-finals.
Not something new.
Let's go back to 2010, when Lamine Yamal was not even three years old and Lionel Messi was near his peak.
The Camp Nou was the scene of one of the most memorable matches in the Champions League. The same teams faced each other again on Wednesday night. Defending a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Inter, then managed by Jose Mourinho, produced a defensive masterpiece against Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. They survived with ten men for more than an hour and lost only 1-0. That result allowed them to advance to the grand final.
Memories will surface this week ahead of the first leg between Barcelona and Inter, especially given the fact that the two teams have similar traits as they did 15 years ago.
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Barça are back in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2018/19. They have the best attack in the 36-team Champions League in the league stage so far. With Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski up front, Barcelona scored 28 goals in eight league matches. They scored another nine goals en route to the semi-finals, during which they eliminated Benfica and Borussia Dortmund.
In the semi-finals, they face Inter, who conceded just one goal in eight league matches and eliminated Bayern in the quarter-finals. Inter have lost three straight domestic matches, but the Champions League is something else.
Inter had won the 2010 final, against Bayern. They had secured their third European title.
So the run to the final this season bears signs of that successful campaign.
The first leg between Barcelona and Inter is on Wednesday at 21:00 p.m. The return leg is in Italy on May 6.
The first semi-final of the Champions League pits Arsenal against Paris Saint-Germain. The first leg is on Tuesday at 21pm at the Emirates in London.
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There is considerably less history in this semi-final clash. Arsenal and Paris have only met three times in the Champions League and never in the knockout stages. The last time they met was this season.
Arsenal had won 2:0 in London. The Gunners have lost the Premier League and are now focusing on the Champions League.
Arsenal are hoping for performances like those against Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, which brought them two victories and an amazing qualification.
Meanwhile, Paris aims to eliminate its third English opponent this campaign. The French champion eliminated Liverpool, the new English champion, in the round of 16, while in the quarterfinals it overcame Aston Villa. In both cases, the Parisians were seriously challenged.
Stars like Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi are already part of history at Paris. This team is aiming for its first Champions League title with talented players, many of whom are on the rise.
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Arsenal are also looking for their first European title. They haven't been in the semi-finals since 2009.
Both teams have lost one final each. Arsenal in 2006 and Paris in 2020.
