Inter Edge Past Barcelona in Explosive Semi-Final to Reach UCL Final
Football fans around the world witnessed an extraordinary, offensive showcase evening in one of the most thrilling matches of the season, as Inter Milan secured their place in the UEFA Champions League final with a 4-3 win after extra time against visitors Barcelona, overturning a 3-2 deficit with a last-gasp equalizer in regulation.
The two sides had drawn 3-3 in the first leg, but what followed at San Siro was nothing short of a historic football spectacle. Inter, whose domestic hopes had dimmed after crashing out of the Coppa Italia semi-finals and slipping in the Serie A title race, surged to a 2-0 lead through Argentine star Lautaro Martínez (21′) and Turkish midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu (45+1′, penalty). But Barcelona stormed back in the second half with goals from Eric García (54′), Dani Olmo (60′), and Brazilian winger Raphinha (88′).
Francesco Acerbi forced extra time with a dramatic equalizer in the 90+3 minute, before Davide Frattesi delivered the decisive blow in the 99th.
Inter will now await the winner of the Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal semifinal (PSG won the first leg 1-0) in the final, which is set to take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31.
Barcelona, meanwhile, will shift focus to securing the La Liga title, beginning with a crucial clash against Real Madrid on Sunday, having already claimed the Copa del Rey crown over their arch-rivals.
Barcelona’s Frustration and Disappointment
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick voiced his frustration over refereeing decisions in the post-match press conference: “I’m disappointed, but I’m proud of our performance—proud of my team that gave everything. But this is football, and sometimes it can be unfair.”
He added: “Some of the referee’s decisions didn’t go our way. Every time it was a 50-50 situation, it ended up going in their favor.”
Despite the disappointment, Flick praised the opposition: “Inter are a great team. They defend well, have quality forwards who hold the ball up, and their automatism is very impressive.” He concluded: “We’ll learn from this and come back next season. Of course, we’re disappointed, but we return to training on Thursday.”
Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo commented: “Honestly, we’re very sad. We wanted to reach the final, and we were having a great campaign.”
He continued: “We were so close, then everything slipped away,” while teammate Eric García insisted that Barcelona “were the better team. They’re through to the final, but I believe we were the stronger side.”
He added: “Once again we found ourselves two goals down, but our team spirit is incredible. The fans who came here tonight were amazing.” He concluded: “We were the better team in the second half. We showed our quality, but when they equalize in the third minute of stoppage time, everything falls apart.”
From Shock to Celebration
On the other side, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said: “Reaching the final is a great source of pride. I’m proud to be coaching this team. We started the match well, went through some difficult spells, but we never gave up.”
He added: “Before extra time, I asked them to keep fighting, and they gave everything.”
Just like in the quarter-final against Bayern Munich, Frattesi came off the bench to score the decisive goal. The midfielder said: “I don’t know what to say. I thought nothing could top the Bayern game, but tonight was even more incredible.”
Reflecting on his wild celebration, Frattesi said: “I was lucky to finish the match. I celebrated so hard I got dizzy and almost fainted.”
Inter’s star forward Martínez added: “We suffered a lot, but we played an incredible match against a very strong side.” He concluded: “Our goal now is the title. Of course, we want to win it—that’s been our objective since the beginning of the tournament.”
