Inter Milan produced a sensational late comeback to beat Barcelona 4-3 on the night and 7-6 on aggregate after extra time in a Champions League semi-final second leg at the San Siro, securing their second final appearance in three seasons.
After a pulsating 3-3 draw in the first leg at Camp Nou, the return leg was another epic. Barcelona looked set for their first final in a decade when Raphinha struck in the 87th minute to put them ahead in the tie for the first time.
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But Inter staged a dramatic revival. With just seconds of stoppage time left, makeshift striker Francesco Acerbi turned in Denzel Dumfries’ cross to force extra time. Then, in the 99th minute, Davide Frattesi coolly slotted home from Mehdi Taremi’s lay-off to seal a famous 4-3 win and a 7-6 aggregate triumph.
Inter had led 2-0 at half-time thanks to Lautaro Martinez’s opener and a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty. Barcelona, however, fought back with goals from Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo before Raphinha’s late strike appeared to complete the comeback.
But Inter, who lost the 2023 final to Manchester City, refused to surrender and matched the record for most goals in a Champions League semi-final tie with 13 in total across both legs.
Speaking to Amazon Prime, Denzel Dumfries said, “A crazy match again. Seven goals today; it was incredible. I am very proud of the way we fought. I’m happy to go to the final and to help the team. I came back from injury, so it was not easy to play two matches. Two years ago, we lost in the final; we knew everything was possible. This year, we are going to the final with the same objective.”
Inter will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday, May 31. The Gunners trail 1-0 heading into Wednesday’s second leg in Paris.
