static.independent.co.uk
A Thrilling Night in Milan
Inter Milan advanced to the UEFA Champions League final after a dramatic 4-3 win over Barcelona in the second leg of their semifinal clash. The match, held at the iconic Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on Wednesday (May 7), ended with Inter edging the tie 7-6 on aggregate.
Early Dominance from Inter
The home side struck first in the 21st minute. Federico Dimarco intercepted a Barcelona attack and played a clever pass to Denzel Dumfries. Dumfries then crossed to Lautaro Martínez, who calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny.
Just before halftime, Martínez was brought down in the box by Pau Cubarsí. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty. Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted it confidently to make it 2-0 for Inter.
Barcelona Fight Back
Inter thought they had scored again early in the second half through Francesco Acerbi. However, the goal was ruled out for offside. Barcelona quickly responded. Eric García scored in the 54th minute, finishing a cross from Gerard Martin. Just three minutes later, Dani Olmo equalized with a header after another assist from Martin.
Barcelona pressed hard for a third. They nearly earned a penalty when Mkhitaryan fouled Lamine Yamal, but VAR showed the foul occurred outside the box. Yamal continued to threaten with powerful shots, while Sommer kept Inter in the game with multiple saves.
Late Drama and Extra Time
Barcelona took a 3-2 lead in the 88th minute. Raphinha scored from a rebound after his initial shot was blocked. However, Inter refused to give up. In added time, Dumfries set up Acerbi for the equalizer, making it 3-3 and forcing extra time.
Frattesi Delivers the Winner
In the opening minutes of extra time, Inter struck again. Marcus Thuram and Mehdi Taremi combined to find Davide Frattesi. Frattesi fired a low shot into the bottom corner, giving Inter a 4-3 lead.
A controversial moment came just before halftime in extra time. The referee blew the whistle as Barella was through on goal. Despite the protests, play was halted.
Sommer Stands Tall
Barcelona pushed for another equalizer. Lewandowski missed a header, and Yamal saw two more strong efforts saved by Sommer. The Swiss goalkeeper was outstanding, keeping Inter’s lead intact.
A Return to the Final
With the final whistle, Inter Milan secured their place in the Champions League final. It’s their first appearance since the 2022/23 season, where they lost 1-0 to Manchester City. The last time they won the title was in 2010 under José Mourinho.
Inter will now face the winner of PSG vs Arsenal, who meet in the other semifinal on Thursday (May 8).
