Milan: Inter Milan secured a spot in the UEFA Champions League final with a thrilling 4-3 extra-time victory over Barcelona on Tuesday, earning a 7-6 aggregate win in the semifinal second leg at San Siro.
The club, which has now reached the final seven times, last competed for the title in 2023. They will aim for their fourth European crown when they face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at Munich’s Allianz Arena on May 31, according to Xinhua.
Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring in the 21st minute, finishing from close range after Federico Dimarco dispossessed Frenkie de Jong near the touchline, allowing Denzel Dumfries to whip in a precise cross.
Shortly before halftime, Martinez won a penalty after being brought down in the box, and Hakan Calhanoglu converted from the spot, extending Inter’s lead to 2-0.
Barcelona responded strongly in the second half, mounting a determined comeback. Gerard Martin’s cross found Eric Garcia, who executed a well-placed volley from inside the area in the 54th minute. Just six minutes later, Dani Olmo levelled the match with a powerful header, once again assisted by Martin. Raphinha then seemed to secure victory for the visitors in the 87th minute, tapping in a rebound to make it 3-2.
However, Inter refused to back down. Deep into stoppage time, Denzel Dumfries delivered another low cross from the right, setting up Francesco Acerbi, whose clinical finish forced extra time and reignited the home crowd.
The decisive moment arrived in the 99th minute when Marcus Thuram surged down the right flank before cutting the ball back for Mehdi Taremi, who found Davide Frattesi. The Italian midfielder then curled a stunning shot into the far corner, completing Inter’s remarkable comeback and sealing their place in the final.
The dramatic two-legged tie produced 13 goals, matching the record for the highest-scoring Champions League knockout round matchup. Inter, having previously won the competition in 1964, 1965, and 2010, now moves one step closer to another European triumph.
Meanwhile, Barcelona, a five-time European champion, was denied a return to the final, missing out for the first time since 2015.
(inputs from IANS)