Barcelona and Inter Milan delivered a captivating 3-3 draw in a high-energy Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday, setting the stage for a tense return leg in Milan.
The match started with fireworks as the Italian visitors stormed into a surprising two-goal lead through brilliant finishes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries.
However, Barcelona, buoyed by their home crowd and inspired by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, clawed their way back into the contest with flair and determination.
Yamal sparked the comeback with a dazzling solo goal before Ferran Torres drew the Catalans level. Although Dumfries again found the net to give Inter the edge again, a Yann Sommer own goal ensured the evening ended with both sides locked at three goals apiece.
“Letting in that many goals (here) is unacceptable, but we also have to give Inter credit, they did very well,” said Raphinha, whose fierce drive forced the own goal.
“The important thing is we leave with a result where everything can happen.”
Despite losing three domestic games in a row and seeing their treble hopes crumble, Inter showed resilience and quality in Catalonia.
“After three defeats in a row we saw the real Inter tonight, we played with heart and I’m proud,” Dumfries told Amazon Prime Video.
“Obviously we wanted to win but I think it was a good performance and it’s still all to play for.”
Thuram, whose fitness had been in doubt due to a thigh issue, wasted no time proving his worth.
Just 30 seconds into the match, he scored the fastest goal in Champions League semi-final history, converting a low Dumfries cross with a slick back-heel after Inigo Martinez lost his footing.
Barcelona, aiming for a historic quadruple, responded by dominating possession and pressing forward relentlessly, with Yamal at the forefront in his 100th appearance for the club.
But Inter doubled their lead against the run of play when Francesco Acerbi flicked on a corner and Dumfries reacted fastest to send a stunning overhead strike into the net.
While previous Barcelona teams might have folded under the pressure, Hansi Flick’s youthful side demonstrated grit and fearlessness, unfazed by the club’s recent European disappointments.
The comeback began just three minutes after Inter’s second. Yamal, full of confidence and creativity, picked up the ball on the right, danced past Thuram and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and curled a precise shot in off the left post — a goal that echoed the artistry of Lionel Messi.
Though Yamal had previously dismissed comparisons to the Barcelona legend, his strike was a moment of magic that drew immediate parallels.
Moments later, the teenager nearly repeated the feat, this time choosing to cut outside before firing a shot that forced Sommer into a desperate fingertip save, pushing the ball onto the crossbar.
Barcelona kept pushing. After 38 minutes of end-to-end action, Pedri sent in a well-placed ball for Raphinha, who nodded it across the face of goal for Torres to finish from close range and bring the score to 2-2.
In the midst of the first-half intensity, Barca suffered a setback as Jules Kounde limped off, while Inter lost their skipper Lautaro Martinez to injury as well.
The second half began with Dimarco firing over the bar before being substituted, having struggled to contain Yamal all night.
Inter appeared more composed after the break and struck again from a corner. Dumfries rose to meet the delivery, and his header deflected in off Dani Olmo, putting the visitors back ahead.
But Barca responded almost immediately. Yamal let a short corner roll past him on the edge of the box, allowing Raphinha to strike a thunderous shot. It crashed off the crossbar and bounced in off the back of the diving Sommer to level the score once again.
Pau Cubarsi produced a crucial defensive challenge to deny Thuram, and Inter thought they had snatched a late winner through Mkhitaryan, only for the goal to be disallowed for a razor-thin offside. Reflecting on the moment, the Armenian said he would remember it “maybe for the rest of my life.”
Yamal came close once more late on, sending another looping effort off the crossbar, but neither side could find a winner.
With the tie finely poised at 3-3, the second leg in Milan next Tuesday promises a thrilling conclusion, with a spot in the May 31 final in Munich, against either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal, hanging in the balance.
What you should know
Lamine Yamal made history as the youngest-ever scorer in a Champions League semi-final, playing a central role in Barcelona’s dramatic 3-3 comeback against Inter Milan.
His 100th appearance for the club was marked by a goal and two efforts that struck the crossbar, highlighting his growing influence ahead of next week’s decisive second leg.
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