May 7 – Inter Milan have reached their second UEFA Champions League final in three years after edging out Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate in a thrilling, two-legged semi-final that will live long in the memory of European football.
In a night of high drama at San Siro, Inter won 4-3 on the night after extra time, finally overcoming a relentless Barcelona side who had staged three separate comebacks across the tie.
Davide Frattesi’s 99th-minute winner ultimately separated the sides after Francesco Acerbi’s stoppage-time equaliser denied Barça a late aggregate lead in regulation time.
With a sold-out crowd of more than 70,000 braving the rain in Milan, the spectacle capped a 210-minute rollercoaster that matched the record for the highest-scoring Champions League semi-final, equalling Liverpool’s 7-6 aggregate win over Roma in 2018.
Barcelona had clawed back from 2-0 and 3-2 down in the first leg to draw 3-3, and again looked poised to reach their first Champions League final since 2015 when second-half goals from Eric García, Dani Olmo and an 87th-minute strike from Raphinha put them ahead for the first time in the tie. But Acerbi, at 37, delivered his first ever European goal at a critical moment, levelling the aggregate at 6-6 in the 93rd minute.
Frattesi’s goal in extra time swung the momentum back in Inter’s favour, and from there it was up to Yann Sommer to preserve the lead.
The Swiss international produced two outstanding saves to deny 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, whose emergence has been one of the many silver linings for a Barça side still searching for a return to continental glory, though are firmly on the up.
For Inter, the victory underlines their resurgence as a European force under Simone Inzaghi. Having lost 2023’s final narrowly to Manchester City, the Nerazzurri now have another shot at a fourth European crown, facing either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31.
Beyond the sporting drama, Inter’s progression offers a financial and reputational boost for a club seeking long-term commercial stability amid wider Serie A struggles to remain competitive on and off the pitch. A Champions League final brings not just prestige but significant revenue opportunities in prize money, sponsorship uplift and global brand exposure.
For Barcelona, the exit marks another painful European collapse, albeit in one of the most entertaining knockout ties in Champions League history.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1746725970labto1746725970ofdlr1746725970owedi1746725970sni@g1746725970niwe.1746725970yrrah1746725970