Inter Milan are heading to the UEFA Champions League final once again, hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since their 2010 win. They beat Barcelona in an incredible two-legged semi-final, winning 4-3 after extra time in Milan and 7-6 on total score — one of the highest-scoring semi-finals ever.
After a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg, the second match started with great energy. Inter scored first when Federico Dimarco stole the ball and passed to Denzel Dumfries, who set up Lautaro Martínez for an easy goal. Henrikh Mkhitaryan almost scored again for Inter, but the real drama came just before halftime. A VAR review showed a late tackle by Pau Cubarsí on Martínez, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu calmly scored the penalty, sending the crowd wild.
Barcelona, known for their comebacks, didn’t give up. Ten minutes into the second half, Eric García scored a beautiful goal to bring them back into the game. Soon after, Dani Olmo scored with a strong header to level the tie. The game was now packed with goals and tension.
Barcelona kept pushing and took the lead for the first time with just two minutes left. Raphinha’s shot was saved, but he quickly scored from the rebound to make it 3-2 on the night. But Inter wasn’t done. Denzel Dumfries crossed the ball to Francesco Acerbi, who scored a clever goal to make it 3-3 and send the match into extra time.
In extra time, Inter came alive again. Mehdi Taremi passed the ball to Davide Frattesi, who scored the winning goal with a calm finish. Frattesi almost scored another, but Inter’s defense stayed strong and secured the win.
This dramatic victory means Inter will play either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final at the end of May. Coach Simone Inzaghi will hope to repeat the club’s success from 2010. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s dream of winning three trophies this season is over, but they can still aim for a domestic double if they beat Real Madrid again in a few days.