Inter stuns Barca to reach UCL final

Inter Milan is heading to another UEFA Champions League final after a thrilling and dramatic encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

In a match that featured two stunning comebacks and a total of 13 goals, Inter triumphed 7-6 on aggregate over Barcelona, winning the second leg 4-3 after extra time on Tuesday. 

The game was a rollercoaster, with Inter nearly being knocked out but ultimately securing victory in a match filled with tension and drama.

Davide Frattesi, who came on as a substitute, was the hero for Inter, scoring in  99th minute of extra time to seal the win. The moment left Barcelona's players devastated, while Frattesi’s teammates rushed to join him in celebration.

“I don’t know what happened tonight. I’m lucky I managed to finish the game, I screamed so much in celebration that everything went black,” Frattesi told Italian broadcaster Sky after the match.

The San Siro crowd, already loud, erupted into even more fervent cheers when Frattesi scored, and he quickly became the focal point of the team's incredible comeback.

“This is just part of my journey," the midfielder added. “I may not have the most incredible talent, but I’m always the last to give up and the first to believe we can do it. When it was 3-3, I told Marcus (Thuram) that we would make it through.”

Inter, who lost last year's final to Manchester City, will now face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31. PSG won the first leg of their semifinal 1-0 in London, with the return leg set for Wednesday in Paris.

Inter’s coach, Simone Inzaghi, praised his team’s performance, citing their victories over Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the earlier rounds as evidence that they can compete with Europe’s best.

“My players were extraordinary, putting in two monstrous performances to reach this final,” Inzaghi said. "We have to keep going. The final will be tough, whether it’s PSG or Arsenal. Barcelona and Bayern are among the best teams in Europe, but we’ll continue to fight."

The game didn’t look nearly as dramatic at halftime, with Inter comfortably ahead 2-0 after Lautaro Martínez scored and Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted a penalty. But Barcelona, having faced similar setbacks earlier in the tie, came roaring back in the second half.

Eric García pulled one back for Barcelona just nine minutes after the break, followed by Dani Olmo’s header to make it 2-2.

With just two minutes left in normal time, Raphinha appeared to have given Barcelona the advantage, scoring from a rebound after Yann Sommer saved his initial shot. But just when it seemed Barcelona was about to progress, 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi leveled the score in stoppage time with his first-ever goal in European competition, forcing extra time.

Frattesi, who had proven his worth as a super-sub before, once again came through for Inter, taking control of a pass from Mehdi Taremi and curling a shot past Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny to give Inter the lead.

Barcelona nearly responded again, but Sommer made a fingertip save to deny Lamine Yamal’s shot from finding the net.

After the match, Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, acknowledged the disappointment but also expressed pride in his team's effort.

“I know everyone is disappointed,” Flick said. “But in the end, we can be proud of our performance. I’m proud of my team. We accept it, and we will start again next season.”

SH