Inter Milan are heading to the UEFA Champions League final for the second time in three seasons after an unforgettable 4-3 extra-time win over Barcelona at the San Siro, sealing a 7-6 aggregate triumph.
The result equals the joint-most goals scored in a two-legged Champions League semi-final. It ensures Italy’s last champions from 2010 remain the country’s modern standard-bearers on the continental stage.
After last week’s dramatic 3-3 draw in Spain, this second leg delivered another thriller.
The electric atmosphere in Milan was soon rewarded with an Inter breakthrough, as Federico Dimarco dispossessed Dani Olmo in midfield and fed Denzel Dumfries, who squared for Lautaro Martínez to finish into an open goal.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan came close to doubling Inter’s lead shortly after, firing narrowly wide, but the hosts did extend their advantage just before half-time.
VAR intervened to punish Pau Cubarsí’s late sliding tackle on Martínez, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu calmly converted the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner, sparking wild celebrations and a furious reaction from Barcelona boss Hansi Flick.
Barcelona, however, have made a habit of fighting back, and within ten minutes of the restart, they did just that. Eric García smashed home Gerard Martín’s pinpoint cross to reignite the contest.
Riding the momentum, Barça soon levelled the tie when Martín delivered again, this time for Olmo, who powered in a header to make it 2-2 on the night and 5-5 on aggregate — the first Champions League semi-final since 2022 to hit double digits in total goals.
With Inter reeling, Barcelona struck what they believed was the decisive blow.
Raphinha’s fierce left-footed effort was saved by Yann Sommer, but the rebound fell kindly, and he made no mistake with his second attempt, giving Barça the lead in the tie for the first time with just two minutes of regulation time remaining.
But Inter weren’t done yet. In the final moments, Dumfries whipped in another dangerous cross, and Francesco Acerbi met it perfectly, steering the ball into the top corner to force extra time.
Spurred on by the late equaliser, Inter seized control again in the additional period. Mehdi Taremi smartly cushioned Marcus Thuram’s cross into the path of Davide Frattesi, who slotted coolly into the far corner to restore Inter’s aggregate lead.
Frattesi nearly added a second, but the Nerazzurri’s defence held firm through the closing stages to secure one of the most dramatic semi-final victories in the competition’s history.
With echoes of their 2010 semi-final triumph over Barcelona, Simone Inzaghi’s men now look ahead to a showdown against either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of May — and the chance to claim a fourth Champions League title.
As for Barcelona, their treble hopes end here. But they can still aim for a domestic double — if they can overcome Real Madrid again in their upcoming El Clásico clash in just five days.
