There has been a breath of fresh air in European competition, with Marco Asensio and Kylian Mbappe being the flag bearers for the future and the revolution it holds. A 21-year-old Spaniard and an 18-year-old Frenchman have turned into sensations in the Champions League.
The quarter finals of the tournament didn't mislead anybody, with the two playing vital parts, roles that they had dreamed of since their youth. The biggest European competition has discovered two young stars that have arrived to take over the continent and the rest of the world.
Gareth Bale was injured in Munich and Zinedine Zidane chose to go with Marco Asensio at the Allianz Arena, a stadium so big that it makes footballers look tiny. And he did the exact opposite. He assisted Cristiano Ronaldo to make it 2-1, without any fear of anything or anyone.
At Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Zidane had another problem - and thought of Marco once again. He returned the favour. Karim Benzema was taken off, with Asensio taking to the field. The game asked for courage at a time where a poor decision could perceivably see his side knocked out by Bayern.
Asensio played, and made others play himself. He fired home with the fourth and definitive Real Madrid goal. After Mats Hummels failed to get across, he beat Manuel Neuer easily, something which Cristiano Ronaldo had only previously managed. He celebrated by pointing at the name on his shirt, setting himself up perfectly for El Clasico on Sunday.
Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, is of interest to Asensio's employers due to seemingly being the first heir to legendary French forward Thierry Henry. The Monaco striker has faced up to the task, played well and scored goals - a lot of goals. In the second leg against Borussia Dortmund, it took him just three minutes.
Mbappe is pure electric. He scored twice in the first leg in Germany against Dortmund, as well as two in the last 16 against Manchester City to announce his arrival on the scene. Five goals in seven Champions League games shows that an extraordinary talent has been discovered that can beat a defence and find the back of the net.
Asensio and Mbappe have put themselves on the map in the quarter-finals. Conquering Europe is quite the feat, and who knows what will happen if they face each other or, perhaps, become teammates.
