Thursday, 08 May, 2025

Sports

Inter Milan edge Barcelona in Champions League thriller to reach final

Sports Desk | banglanews24.com
Update: 2025-05-07 08:23:10
Inter Milan edge Barcelona in Champions League thriller to reach final photo collected

Inter Milan pulled off a stunning late comeback to edge Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate in an unforgettable Champions League semi-final, sealing their place in a second final in three seasons.

Trailing 3-2 on the night and seemingly heading out, Inter levelled deep into stoppage time through veteran defender Francesco Acerbi, who fired into the roof of the net before celebrating wildly with his shirt off.

Moments later, substitute Davide Frattesi curled in a sublime left-footed strike in extra time to send the Italian champions through, sparking delirium among Inter’s travelling supporters at the Nou Camp.

The dramatic two-legged tie saw 13 goals—matching the record for the highest-scoring Champions League semi-final, previously set by Liverpool and Roma in 2018.

Barcelona, chasing their first final appearance in a decade, had overturned a 2-0 deficit to lead 3-2 late in normal time. Eric Garcia’s volley and Dani Olmo’s diving header brought the Spanish side level, before Raphinha tapped in a rebound to put them ahead on aggregate with just three minutes left.

But Inter refused to give in. Acerbi’s dramatic equaliser silenced the home crowd, and although teenage sensation Lamine Yamal twice came close to snatching a winner—only to be denied by Inter keeper Yann Sommer—the Serie A champions held firm.

The match was a mirror of the first leg in Milan, where Inter also raced into a 2-0 lead before Barcelona clawed back. Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Calhanoglu had earlier put Inter ahead again in the second leg before Barca’s response.

Inter, who lost to Manchester City in the 2023 final, will now face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on 31 May. PSG hold a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg in Paris.

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