Inter Edge Barca in Seven-Goal Thriller to Reach Champions League Final

TDT | Manama

Email: hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Inter Milan booked their spot in the Champions League final with a dramatic 4-3 win over Barcelona at the San Siro on Tuesday night, sealing a 7-6 aggregate victory in a match that had it all. It took extra time, a late heroics from Francesco Acerbi, and a decisive strike by substitute Davide Frattesi to get Inter over the line in a semi-final that’ll be talked about for years.

The Italians will now face either Paris St Germain or Arsenal in the Munich final later this month, with PSG holding a 1-0 lead going into their second leg on Wednesday. After a wild 3-3 draw in the first leg in Barcelona, this return match somehow upped the ante, delivering a rollercoaster of emotions for the packed San Siro crowd. Inter were in control early, taking a 2-0 lead by half-time.

Lautaro Martinez broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, finishing off a sharp counter-attack, and Hakan Calhanoglu doubled the advantage with a penalty just before the break, awarded after a VAR check spotted a foul by Pau Cubarsi on Martinez. But Barcelona came alive in the second half, with Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo scoring within six minutes to level things up. Raphinha then thought he’d won it for Barca with a close-range strike in the 87th minute, leaving Inter staring at elimination.

That’s when 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi stepped up, firing home a first-time shot from a Denzel Dumfries cross deep in stoppage time to force extra time—his first European goal in his 20th season. The San Siro erupted, and the momentum swung back to Inter. In the 99th minute, Marcus Thuram made a brilliant run down the right and set up Frattesi, who curled a neat shot into the bottom corner to put Inter ahead for good. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer played his part too, pulling off a string of superb saves, including two from the dangerous Lamine Yamal, who also hit the post late on.

Frattesi, who’d also come off the bench to score the winner in Inter’s quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich, was over the moon. “I screamed so much I saw everything black,” he told Sky Sport. “I wasn’t at my best the last few days, so I owe this to the physios. It’s incredible—I don’t even know what to say.”

For Inter, this is a shot at their fourth Champions League title and their first in 15 years, having lost to Manchester City in the final two years ago. Manager Simone Inzaghi was full of praise for his squad, while also tipping his hat to Barcelona. “We had to be at our best to beat a really strong team,” he said. “These lads gave me everything—I’m proud to be their coach.”

Barcelona, who were chasing a treble after winning the Copa del Rey, now turn their focus to LaLiga, where they lead Real Madrid by four points with four games left. They’ll host their rivals on Sunday, aiming for a fourth straight win over them this season. Defender Eric Garcia summed up their mood: “Football can be cruel. We showed great character coming back from 2-0 down, but it wasn’t enough. We’ve got a young team, and we’ll keep fighting for the league.”