Inter Milan beat Barcelona in all-time classic to reach UCL final

Italian giants Inter Milan have eliminated Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final encounter at the San Siro.

The Nerazzurri conjured a master-class performance on the night to beat the Catalans in an all-time classic football game to reach the UEFA Champions League final on Tuesday night.

In a pulsating UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg at the San Siro, Inter Milan edged out Barcelona 4-3 after extra time( 7-6 on aggregate) to secure their place in the 2025 final.

The match, a rollercoaster of emotions and high-quality football, lived up to the billing of the 3-3 first leg draw, with both teams trading blows in the contest that will be remembered as a modern classic.

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Inter Milan’s resilience was tested, while the attacking prowess of Hansi Flick’s side was manifest, delivering one of the most memorable encounters of the 2024/25 Champions League calendar.

The San Siro was electric as Inter, buoyed by its massive home crowd, took the fight to Barcelona from the opening whistle in the second leg.

The game exploded into life early, when Inter went 2-0 up, after Lautaro Martinez broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, slotting home a precise pass from Denzel Dumfries, before Hakan Calhanoglu doubled the hosts’ advantage with a penalty just before the break.

The 2-0 lead at half-time looked all but over for the visitors, giving Inter a 5-3 aggregate advantage.

Barcelona bossed the game early in the second half, as has been the case in most of their games lately.

Hansi Flick’s side clawed their way back with relentless attacking play. Eric Garcia smashed a volley in the 54th minute to halve the deficit before Dani Olmo headed home six minutes later to level the aggregate score at 5-5.

It felt like Rome had fallen once again, but this time, the San Siro crowd fell silent as Barcelona’s high line and fluid attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres threatened to overrun Inter’s defence.

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Raphinha appeared to have sealed Barca’s place in the final just at the right time, after firing a shot with his weaker right foot into the far corner in the 87th minute on a rebound after goalkeeper Yann Sommer had denied him at the near post.

The late goal handed the visitors a lead for the first time in the game, giving them a 6-5 aggregate lead.

It was all joy and celebration from the Blaugrana faithful, smelling victory from close range, a return to the Champions League final for the first time since 2015.

Inter, however, had other ideas. In the 93rd minute, 37-year-old defender Francesco Acerbi rose highest to head home a corner to level the scoreline, bringing the aggregate score to 6-6 and forcing extra time.

The first period of extra time saw both sides going at each other, with Sommer standing in the gap with world-class saves to deny both Garcia and Yamal goal-bound efforts.

The defining moment arrived in the 94th minute when 25-year-old substitute Davide Frattesi took advantage of a loose ball in the box and slotted it into the bottom corner, sending the San Siro into pandimonium.

The host now led 7-6 on aggregate. Simone Inzaghi’s Inter defence led by Alessandro Bastoni and Acerbi, held their own with grit and full concentration through the second period of extra time to secure the victory.