Yamal Flourishes as Barcelona's Champions League Dream Ends in Semifinals

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Almost six minutes into stoppage time, Lamine Yamal entered the area with the ball in front of him and only the goalkeeper to beat.

The teenage sensation was being challenged by a defender, but looked in good position to find the net.

Instead of scoring the goal that would likely take Barcelona to its first Champions League final in a decade, Yamal couldn’t manage more than a weak left-footed shot that went straight into the hands of Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

The 17-year-old Spain forward had another strong performance Tuesday, creating chances and being a constant threat, but it wasn't enough to lead the Catalan club to its first Champions League final in a decade.

Yamal’s missed opportunity at the end of regulation proved costly, leaving the score even at 3-3 before Inter Milan prevailed 4-3 in extra time to progress to the final with an aggregate score of 7-6.

Yamal had managed to score an incredible goal during the initial game in Barcelona, yet he failed to find the back of the net this time around to assist Barcelona in the subsequent match held in San Siro.

A left-footed attempt during extra time seemed hopeful, but Sommer managed to make a barely-there save, keeping their team ahead with a score of 4-3.

Which save will I recall?" asked Sommer, named the game’s most valuable player. "Perhaps the final one against Lamine Yamal. He's an outstanding player, and luckily for us, his shot didn't score. A lot of squads might have conceded defeat when they were behind 3-2, yet we persevered and managed to equalize.

Sommer spoke with Sky Italia, and these remarks were featured by UEFA.

Sommer had previously executed several crucial stops against Yamal throughout the game, notably performing a spectacular one-handed dive to push away a powerful shot from the young striker at minute 77 when the score was tied 2-2.

Yamal's chance to take advantage near the end of regular time occurred just moments after Inter leveled the score through a goal from Francesco Acerbi. Earlier, in another intense encounter between the teams, Raphinha had scored for Barcelona in the 87th minute, putting them ahead.

Yamal appeared to be in disbelief after he couldn’t get the ball past Sommer. After the referee blew the whistle at the end of regulation, he briefly raised his shirt in front of his face.

A trip to the final would have added to the sensational start of Yamal's career, both with Barcelona and with Spain’s national team, where he has been setting records and earning praise from across the soccer world.

Barcelona was trying to reach the final for the first time since it won its fifth Champions League title in 2015.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press

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