James Milton: Fearless full-backs could take centre stage in Champions League final

It is often said that nobody remembers losing semi-finalists but Barcelona and, to a lesser extent, Arsenal played their parts in a couple of cracking Champions League last-four ties.

This week's second legs produced a host of memorable images. On Tuesday, Inter defender Francesco Acerbi scored a deft injury-time equaliser just moments after Barcelona's Lamine Yamal – 20 years Acerbi's junior – had hit the post.

As Inter edged closer to an extraordinary 7-6 aggregate victory, coach Simone Inzaghi watched on, sodden but elated, like Andie MacDowell at the end of Four Weddings and a Funeral: "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed."

The following night we witnessed a brilliant strike from Paris St-Germain's Fabian Ruiz, Declan Rice galloping 89 yards to make a goal-saving tackle and some sensational saves by Gianluigi Donnarumma. "Their goalkeeper!" gasped an Arsenal fan standing near me in the pub. "He's … he's not fair."

Eliminated superstars such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane were not missed at all as flying full-backs stole the show in the semi-finals.

It is still unsettling to see dynamic, game-changing performances from a position that was traditionally filled by the steady Eddies of the football world.

Full-backs used to be solid citizens, great servants – six-out-of-ten merchants with down-to-earth names like Nigel Worthington, Jeff Kenna or Alan Wright. They often looked a decade older than the rest of the team, even when they were in their mid-20s.

Some would be penalty specialists and, once in a while, a full-back would score a belter from 30 yards and look just as shocked as everyone else in the ground.

Full-backs tended to be sensible and slightly awkward, like an uncle on a stag do. Even the way they ran with the ball was cautious and crabby, always ready to check back and play a percentage pass to a more talented teammate at the first sign of danger.

Now, though, they are the dangers. Think of the participial adjectives we use to describe attack-minded full-backs – they're "marauding" or "rampaging". 

They pop up in unexpected places, determined to cause as much damage as possible before reluctantly returning to their defensive duties.

Inter's wing-backs relished the wide open spaces left by Barcelona's high line in both legs of their epic semi-final clash.

On Inter's right flank, Denzel Dumfries claimed an assist just 30 seconds into the first leg in Catalonia before scoring his side's second and third goals.

Dumfries set up the opener for Lautaro Martinez on Tuesday, after a defence-splitting pass from left wing-back Federico Dimarco, and the Dutchman also provided the cross for Acerbi's dramatic equaliser.

Dimarco's main task against Barca was marking spring-heeled winger Yamal and he was substituted early in the second half of both legs, looking like a man who had just finished an ultra-marathon while battling a monstrous hangover.

Usually, though, the Italy international is more of an attacking menace, contributing four goals and seven assists in Serie A this season and averaging 1.8 shots per game.

Barcelona were missing injured left-back Alejandro Balde and right-back Jules Kounde but their understudies Gerard Martin and Eric Garcia inspired the second-half comeback at San Siro.

Martin's crosses led to Barca's first two goals - a lovely cushioned volley from Garcia in the 54th minute and a Dani Olmo header six minutes later.

Left-back Martin should have had a quickfire hat-trick of assists as he also laid on a glorious chance for his fellow full-back Garcia after a slick breakaway in the 57th minute.

There was no such profligacy in front of goal from PSG right-back Achraf Hakimi against Arsenal as his superb finish from just inside the box put the Parisians 3-0 up on aggregate. 

The Morocco captain was Uefa's player of the match on Wednesday – Inter's Dumfries got the award in the first leg in Barcelona – and he should appear in plenty of bet builders on the Champions League final.

Hakimi has amassed seven goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season, also having efforts against Manchester City and Aston Villa ruled out due to tight offside calls.

PSG left-back Nuno Mendes scored in the quarter-final first leg against Villa, bombing forward to finish convincingly in the 91st minute, and both full-backs were on target within the first 27 minutes of the return leg at Villa Park.

Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal scored the first goal and scooped the player-of-the-match award in last season's Champions League final and PSG and Inter's fearless full-backs may well have a massive impact on this month's showdown in Munich. 

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