Priceless Moments of the Week: Lamine Yamal, Gianluigi Donnarumma, William Saliba and Marcus Thuram star
Friday, May 2, 2025
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Lamine Yamal, Gianluigi Donnarumma, William Saliba and Marcus Thuram feature in our Mastercard Priceless Moments of the Week for the semi-final first legs.
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Check out the milestone goals, fairy-tale storylines and eye-popping drama that defined the UEFA Champions League semi-final first legs with the Mastercard Priceless Moments of the Week.
Yamal amazes in Europe again
Lamine Yamal celebrated his 100th Barcelona appearance with a record-breaking strike and a performance to match.
The forward's goal against Inter made him the youngest scorer in a UEFA Champions League semi-final – aged 17 years and 291 days – breaking Kylian Mbappé's record of 18 years and 140 days set in 2017.
Triggering Barça's comeback from two down, his finish exuded pure confidence. After shrugging off Marcus Thuram, Yamal glided into the box before bending a shot in off the far post with goalkeeper Yann Sommer only able to watch. Staying central to the action, he continued to torment Inter, twice rattling the crossbar.
The teenager's exploits drew praise from both coaches. "He's special. I've said it before, but he's a genius," said Hansi Flick, while Simone Inzaghi called him "the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years".
Donnarumma's well-earned clean sheet at Arsenal
Gianluigi Donnarumma gave an outstanding goalkeeping display as his key saves helped Paris edge Arsenal 1-0 in a tense Champions League semi-final first leg in London.
Vitinha hailed his team-mate's "amazing performance" after crucial interventions either side of the break.
Just before half-time, Myles Lewis-Skelly sliced through the Paris defence to send Gabriel Martinelli clear. His low shot looked destined for the net, but the keeper reacted sharply, diving left to keep it out and preserve the lead.
Ten minutes into the second half, it was Leandro Trossard's turn, breaking free and bearing down on goal. Again, Donnarumma got down quickly to deny him.
"That's the work of goalkeepers, no?" said Paris coach Luis Enrique post-match. "Save the team – they work every day for that."
Thuram's quick flick sets speed record
Marcus Thuram scored the fastest-ever goal in a Champions League semi-final, striking just 30 seconds into Inter's 3-3 draw with Barcelona in Spain.
And he did it in style. As the Nerazzurri surged forward straight from kick-off, Barça scrambled to recover their shape.
Denzel Dumfries, given too much time, whipped in an outswinging cross from the right. Thuram, already alert, met it and finished masterfully with a deft flick, guiding the ball into Wojciech Szczęsny's bottom corner.
It was the forward's fourth goal of the campaign, adding to earlier efforts against Young Boys in the league phase and Feyenoord in the round of 16.
No shortage of action in London
It was an action-packed semi-final at Arsenal Stadium – but not one defined by goals.
No one broke through again after Ousmane Dembélé's fourth-minute strike, yet the match crackled with intensity and momentum shifts. Both sides carved out chances, but it was the defensive interventions that stole the spotlight.
William Saliba's flawless challenge on Achraf Hakimi inside the box typified Arsenal's resolve, sliding in to take the ball cleanly just as the full-back shaped to shoot. At the other end, João Neves produced a similarly vital contribution, stretching to thwart Mikel Merino's goal-bound attempt.