
On 6 May 2025, Inter Milan defeated Barcelona 4-3 after extra time at the San Siro to advance 7-6 on aggregate and secure their place in the Champions League final in Munich. This semi‑final, packed with lead changes, late‑game heroics and tactical masterstrokes, will be remembered as one of the most thrilling in the competition’s history.
In the first leg on 30 April 2025 at Montjuïc Stadium, Inter stunned Barcelona by opening the scoring after just 30 seconds through Marcus Thuram’s back‑heel, before Denzel Dumfries volleyed home to make it 2-0 . Barcelona fought back with goals from Lamine Yamal—who became the youngest scorer in a Champions League semi‑final at 17 years and 291 days—plus two further strikes to draw 3-3 and leave everything to play for in Milan.
Lautaro Martínez put Inter ahead in the 21st minute, curling a low finish into the corner, before Hakan Çalhanoğlu coolly converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to give the hosts a 2-0 interval lead.
Barça responded in the second half as Eric García headed in on 53′, Dani Olmo levelled with a 59′ finish, and Raphinha struck in the 86th to flip the tie in Barcelona’s favour at 3-2 on the night (6-5 agg).
In the third minute of stoppage time, veteran Francesco Acerbi rose superbly to head home the 3-3 equaliser, sending the San Siro into raptures and forcing extra time.
Just four minutes into extra time, Davide Frattesi capitalised on slick build‑up play involving Marcus Thuram and Mehdi Taremi to score the decisive fourth goal and seal a 4-3 victory.
Simone Inzaghi’s high‑press unsettled Barcelona’s usual possession rhythm in the first half, creating turnovers that led directly to Inter’s early goals . Conversely, Barcelona’s youthful threat—epitomised by Lamine Yamal’s pace and creativity—tested Inter’s defence throughout, hitting the post twice and forcing key saves.
With 13 goals across both legs, this semi‑final stands as the highest‑scoring in Champions League history, underlining the extraordinary quality and drama on display.
Inter will face either Paris Saint‑Germain or Arsenal in the final on 31 May 2025 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, capping a knockout phase that began on 11 February and features 24 teams in pursuit of Europe’s premier club prize.
Be the first to leave a comment