Inter Milan returns to Champions League final
INTER Milan secured a spot in another Champions League final after a dramatic, extra-time victory over Barcelona in a match filled with stunning comebacks and a remarkable 13 goals across both legs.
The Italian club prevailed 7-6 on aggregate, winning the second leg 4-3 on Tuesday (Wednesday, May 7, 2025, PH time).
Substitute Davide Frattesi emerged as the hero for Inter, scoring in the 99th minute. His goal ignited wild celebrations among his teammates and the San Siro crowd, contrasting sharply with the Barcelona players’ despondency.
“I don’t know what happened tonight. I’m lucky I managed to finish the game, I screamed so much (in celebration) that I saw everything black,” Frattesi exclaimed to Sky Italia, capturing the sheer emotion of the moment. Frattesi’s goal fulfilled his reputation as a super-sub. “That’s part of my career,” he said. “I wasn’t given so much incredible talent, but I am always the last one to give up and the first one to believe we can do it. At 3-3, I told Marcus (Thuram) that we would go through.”
Inter Milan, a three-time European champion who lost the 2023 final to Manchester City, will now face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in the final in Munich on May 31st. Inter’s coach, Simone Inzaghi, believes his team’s victories over strong opponents like Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the preceding rounds demonstrate their ability to compete at the highest level.
“My players have been extraordinary, they’ve put out there two monstrous performances to get to this final,” Inzaghi stated. “We have to continue. The final will be played against a really great team, whether it’s Arsenal or PSG. Barcelona and Bayern are probably the best teams in Europe at the moment, but it will still be difficult.”
The match was a rollercoaster. At halftime, Inter held a comfortable 2-0 lead, courtesy of a Lautaro Martínez goal and a Hakan Çalhanoğlu penalty. However, Barcelona, who had previously recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the first leg to secure a 3-3 draw, mounted a comeback.
Eric García scored early in the second half, followed by a Dani Olmo equalizer. Raphinha then put Barcelona ahead with just minutes remaining. But Francesco Acerbi leveled the score in stoppage time, sending the match into extra time.
Frattesi then scored the decisive goal, taking a pass from Mehdi Taremi and beating Pau Cubarsí with a curling shot past Wojciech Szczęsny. Barcelona nearly equalized again, but a crucial save from Yann Sommer preserved Inter’s lead.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, while acknowledging his players’ disappointment, expressed pride in their performance. “I know everyone is disappointed... but at the end we can be proud of our performance,” Flick said. “I’m proud of my team. We have to accept it and we start again next season.” / From the wires