Who is involved?
Barcelona, Benfica, Real Madrid and Salzburg
Barcelona won the inaugural UEFA Youth League final three years ago, defeating Benfica 3-0, although none of those players will be on show this time. It is both those teams’ first appearance in the final four since then – in contrast to Real Madrid, who lost to Paris Saint-Germain last season, having succumbed to Benfica in 2014, again in the semi-finals. That leaves Salzburg as the only newcomers.
Get the lowdown on the contenders in our semi-finalist profiles:
Who is playing who and when?
Semi-finals (21 April)
Barcelona v Salzburg (13:00CEST)
Real Madrid v Benfica (17:00CEST) – SOLD OUT
Final (24 April, 17:00CEST)
©UEFA.com
Where can I watch/follow the action?
All three fixtures will be televised and/or streamed on UEFA.com. A comprehensive MatchCentre will also be in operation for each game and @UEFAYouthLeague will provide regular news and updates from Nyon all weekend. Use #UYL to get involved.
Which players should I look out for?
Jordi Mboula (Barcelona): A runner-up with Spain at the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, Mboula has pace to burn. The winger comes into finals weekend as the joint-second top scorer in this season’s competition with seven goals, the pick of them undoubtedly his effort against Borussia Dortmund that sent social media into a frenzy.
José Gomes (Benfica): Leading marksman and golden player at the 2016 UEFA European U17 Championship, ‘Zé Golo’ has been a regular for Benfica’s B team in the Portuguese second tier this term. He made his UEFA Champions League debut against Napoli in September.
Sergio Díaz (Real Madrid): Díaz joined Madrid last summer from Cerro Porteño in his native Paraguay. Capable of playing as a lone striker or on either wing, the 19-year-old has registered four goals and supplied as many assists.
Xaver Schlager (Salzburg): Schlager, with five, is the foremost assist provider in the 2016/17 tournament. The midfielder, a regular in Salzburg’s first-team squad, scored on his full UEFA Europa League debut in December.
What happened in previous finals?
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