Barcelona staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down, mirroring their fightback in the first leg, and seemed to have secured their place in the final when Raphinha struck in the 87th minute, putting them ahead 3-2 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate.
However, in the closing moments, veteran Inter defender Francesco Acerbi—pushed forward in desperation—delivered a dramatic equalizer, sending one of the most thrilling ties in recent memory into extra time. ..Continue Reading
Buoyed by their late goal, Inter regained momentum, and Serie A standout Davide Frattesi sealed their victory with an extra-time strike.
After an exhilarating 3-3 draw in Spain, Inter took control of the second leg early, racing to a 2-0 lead on the night and extending their aggregate advantage to 5-3 by halftime at the San Siro.
Lautaro Martinez, initially doubtful for the match due to injury, opened the scoring with a well-crafted goal before winning a penalty just before halftime, which Hakan Calhanoglu confidently converted.
Inter was awarded the spot-kick following a VAR review, where Pau Cubarsi was ruled to have fouled Martinez as he surged toward goal.
Referee Szymon Marciniak initially dismissed Inter’s appeals, but after being advised by VAR to review the incident at the pitchside monitor, he overturned his original decision.
Former Arsenal boss Wenger, however, disagreed with the call, claiming that Martinez had exaggerated the contact to win the penalty.
‘I am highly against these kind of penalties and I am highly against using the slow-motion,’ Wenger told beIN SPORTS.
‘At normal pace, this is a great tackle, he’s first on the ball. Why does he touch him?
‘Look what Lautaro is doing. He leans into him, he looks for the penalty, he knows he cannot score because he feels the defender there.
‘The referee, in this situation, has not made the right decision. He [Cubarsi] is first to the ball and that’s what counts for me.
‘The rest is done by Lautaro. It doesn’t matter if there’s contact, it’s who plays the ball and who wins the ball first.’
Barcelona’s frustration with officiating continued when a penalty awarded for a foul on the energetic Lamine Yamal was later downgraded to a free-kick at the edge of the box following another VAR review.
Inter Milan’s stunning triumph over Barcelona secured their place in the 2025 Champions League final on May 31, where they will face either Premier League contenders Arsenal or French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG currently holds a narrow 1-0 advantage over the Gunners ahead of their decisive second-leg clash in Paris on Wednesday night.
Although Barcelona’s European campaign has come to an end, they remain strong favorites to lift the La Liga title, leading Real Madrid by four points with four matches remaining.
Under Hansi Flick’s guidance, the team has thrilled fans with their impressive performances in the Champions League and also claimed Copa del Rey glory after defeating their fierce rivals Madrid in the final.
Reacting to Inter win and Barca’s heartbreaking defeat, Premier League all-time record goalscorer Alan Shearer said: ‘Thank you Inter Milan and thank you Barcelona.
‘You’ve provided us with incredible entertainment and two great football matches. What we have witnessed has been something very special.’
Former England striker Daniel Sturridge added: ‘It’s going to be a party tonight. Special game. Can we watch these teams play every game?
‘It is so good the match-up. This will be a memory that will last forever in these fans minds. It was such a special game to experience.’
