Inter Milan defeated Barcelona in an enthralling semifinal second leg to reach the final of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.
The Italians won 4-3 at San Siro to earn a 7-6 victory on aggregate over Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.
Inter started the game in like fashion as the first-leg as they cruised into a two-goal lead over the Catalans.
Barca also took cue from the first leg as they amazingly turned the game around to equalise. Meanwhile, it was a complete turnaround as they took the lead this time.
However, the home side stunned the Spanish giants, as they drew level just as their opponents did in the first meeting, before capping it with a winner in extra time.
Simone Inzaghi’s side took the lead in the 24th minute, courtesy of Lautaro Martinez. Denzel Dumfries, who scored a brace last week, was sent one-on-one by Federico Dimarco, before squaring for Martinez to score.
The home side then doubled the lead through Hakan Calhanoglu’s 45th minute penalty.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan slipped a dangerous ball through for Martinez, as Cubarsi’s late lunge, sent the Argentine down in the box.
Meanwhile, referee Szymon Marciniak, waved the shouts away, but was called to the monitor. Eventually, Marciniak corrected the decision, allowing Calhanoglu to step up and give his side the second goal.
The second half begin with the visitors taking control of the game, asking all the questions. The breakthrough eventually came in the 54th minute as Eric Garcia thumped home to convert Gerard Martin’s cross.
Few minutes after, the game was levelled as Dani Olmo’s header made it 2-2. After pilling lots of pressure, Martin once again lifted an exquisite ball over the Inter defence for Olmo to equalise.
Lamine Yamal, who has been bossing the like Carlos Augusto in the right wing, almost gave Barca the lead. The young winger fired a goal bound shot, but Frenkie De Jong unwittingly diverts it away from goal. Once again, the Golden Boy winner sent another strike heading for the top corner, but Yann Sommer pushed it away.
However, the Blaugranas thought to have won it in the 87th minute, when Raphinha put them ahead for the first time. The Brazilian received a pass from Pedri, before firing first at Yann Sommer, but the Swiss sent is straight back and Raphinha guided his second effort into the bottom right corner, sending the home fans silent.
However, the home side did not give up as they drew levelled in the 93rd minute, sending the game into extra-time. Dumfries sent a close range cross which was converted by 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi, who got his first ever UCL goal at the most needed time.
With the game in extra-time, the Nerazzurri sealed the contest, courtesy of Davide Frattesi goal.
The Inter sub showed composure to kill off the game as Marcus Thuram’s brilliance beat two Barca defenders, before laying off for Mehdi Taremi, who teed up Frattesi to score the winner.
Yamal almost got the visitors back into the game but Sommer was up to the task to deny the youngster with a full stretch save, twice.
Just like in 2010, Inter Milan reaches the Champions League final, at the expense of Barcelona.
The Italian side will then be facing the winner between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, at the Allianz Arena stadium, Munich.
Meanwhile, the loss brought an end to Hansi Flick and Barcelona quest for treble. The La Liga leaders have already secured the Copa del Rey and are leading the league with four games remaining.
A Champions League triumph could have given the Catalans the treble, but they were denied by Inzaghi’s Inter Milan.
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