Inter Milan booked their place in the UEFA Champions League final after edging past Barcelona in a thrilling extra-time encounter, securing a dramatic 4-3 victory on the night and a 7-6 win on aggregate. The match, played under heavy rain at the iconic San Siro stadium, delivered a spectacle worthy of the occasion, with twists, stunning goals, and high-stakes drama from start to finish.
Davide Frattesi emerged as the hero for Inter, firing home the decisive goal in the 99th minute of extra time to send the home crowd into raptures. The Italian midfielder’s strike capped a sensational night and sealed Inter’s passage to the final in Munich later this month, where they will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain.
Inter’s progression marked a major highlight in a season that had threatened to unravel after their hopes of a treble faded. Knocked out of the Coppa Italia by city rivals AC Milan and having slipped behind Napoli in the Serie A title race, the Champions League represented their last shot at silverware. But with this monumental win, Inter have a chance to lift European football’s most prestigious trophy for the fourth time in their history.
The second leg began with Inter holding a slender advantage from the first leg, but the match quickly turned into a rollercoaster. Lautaro Martinez gave the hosts the lead on the night with a sensational strike before Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to make it 2-0 and extend Inter’s aggregate lead.
Barcelona, chasing an unprecedented quadruple, responded in the second half with real intent. Gerard Martin orchestrated their fightback, providing two sublime assists—first for Eric Garcia in the 54th minute and then for Dani Olmo six minutes later—to level the score at 2-2. The visitors dominated proceedings, with Inter’s Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer called into action several times.
Sommer’s crucial intervention came between those two Barcelona goals when he produced a breathtaking save to deny Garcia from close range, keeping Inter’s hopes alive. Despite Barca’s dominance, Inter clung on, but the pressure told in the 88th minute when Raphinha scored to put the visitors 3-2 ahead, turning the aggregate score in their favour.
With Barca fans already celebrating what looked like a certain final berth, Inter produced a stunning twist. In the second minute of added time, Francesco Acerbi scrambled home a cross from Denzel Dumfries to level the tie at 6-6 on aggregate and send the match to extra time.
The momentum shifted once again, and nine minutes into extra time, Frattesi struck. Capitalising on a loose ball in the box, he lashed it past the helpless Marc-André ter Stegen to give Inter the lead in the tie once more.
Barcelona pushed hard for an equaliser, with young star Lamine Yamal hitting the post in the 111th minute, and Sommer again coming to the rescue moments later with a fingertip save to deny the same player. Inter, driven by the energy of a passionate home crowd, managed to hold firm in the dying minutes.
When the final whistle blew, the San Siro erupted in celebration. Inter had come through one of the greatest Champions League semi-finals in recent memory, and with momentum on their side, they will now prepare to chase European glory in Munich.
