Barcelona fans have last laugh as Lamine Yamal outshines Mbappé & Dembélé | OneFootball

Supporters of La Liga giants Barcelona were afforded what feels like a rare recent opportunity to smile on Tuesday evening.

As much comes owing to developments in the Euro 2024 semi-final showdown between Spain and France.

The two continental heavyweights are fresh off a tightly-contested affair in Munich, which saw Luis de la Fuente’s troops, when all was said and done, come out on top.

After Randal Kolo Muani opened the scoring early on, products of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy took control, to wrestle back the advantage in Spain’s favour.

First, Lamine Yamal was responsible for a Goal of the Tournament contender, courtesy of the most stunning of bending efforts from distance.

Then, minutes later, it was the turn of Dani Olmo, whose delicate footwork in the penalty area culminated in his shot across goal being turned home by the unfortunate Jules Koundé.

And this is how things remained through the full-time whistle, Spain booking a deserved place in a Euro finale showdown with one of England or the Netherlands.

In the buildup to Tuesday’s clash, much of the chatter, of course, surrounded the battle out wide.

Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams vs Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

Barcelona’s attacking prodigy and their chief summer target, against the latest signing of their arch rivals, and a player now widely despised across the Blaugrana fanbase.

And, safe to say, when all was said and done, it was the former pair who came out on top.

Whilst Nico did not exactly set the world alight, 16-year-old Lamine was in irresistible form, lighting up Munich with touch, pace, finished product, and a remarkable goal.

On the French side of things, on the other hand, Mbappé was anonymous for lengthy stretches, with the less said about Dembélé’s final ball, the better.

Amid their ongoing struggles to keep pace with Real Madrid on the pitch, tonight’s action certainly represented a moral victory for all those of a Barcelona persuasion.

Conor Laird | GSFN