Barcelona and Inter Share Six-Goal Classic Ahead of San Siro Decider

Chaos, brilliance, heartbreak, and history the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Inter Milan had it all.

The script began before fans had even settled into their seats. Just 30 seconds in, Inter’s Marcus Thuram produced an audacious near-post flick that rippled the back of the net and etched his name into history as the scorer of the fastest Champions League semi-final goal ever. Barcelona faithful, stunned into silence, could hardly believe their eyes when, 20 minutes later, Denzel Dumfries added a second with a superb acrobatic volley following Acerbi’s clever header across the box.

Barcelona were reeling, and for a moment, it seemed the tie might be slipping from their grasp. But then came the spark. Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation, danced his way through Inter’s backline with fearless intent, curling a beautiful left-footed strike in off the post to halve the deficit and ignite belief.

It was the kind of moment you could sense would swing the momentum and it did.

Raphinha and Ferran Torres combined next, with the Brazilian’s cushioned header setting up Ferran for a close-range tap-in that brought Barcelona level before half-time. From 2-0 down to 2-2 in the space of 15 minutes and the Barcelona was rocking again.

The second half didn’t slow down. Inter, unbothered by the shifting tide, struck back past the hour mark through a looping Dumfries header. Calhanoglu’s corner delivery hung in the air just long enough for Dumfries to beat Olmo in the jump, his header deflecting off the Spaniard and beyond Szczesny to make it 3-2 for the Italians.

But as quickly as Inter had reclaimed the lead, Barcelona responded. A brilliantly worked short-corner routine saw Raphinha unleash a thunderous strike from distance. The ball crashed down off the bar, hit the back of goalkeeper Yann Sommer, and agonizingly trickled over the line for a 3-3 equalizer officially credited as a Sommer own goal, though it felt like Raphinha’s moment.

The final minutes were a blur of chances and tension. Yamal rattled the crossbar again with a cross-turned-shot, and Raphinha nearly won it with a stinging long-range effort, only for Sommer to produce a sprawling save. Inter thought they had a late winner through Mkhitaryan, but VAR chalked it off for offside.

When referee Clement Turpin finally blew for full-time, players from both sides slumped to the turf, exhausted from the relentless pace and drama of a match that will be remembered for years.

Now, with no away goals rule to factor in, it all comes down to a one-legged decider at Inter milan. Can Barcelona ride the momentum of their comeback, or will Inter’s early brilliance and resilience carry them to the final?

One thing’s certain after a night like this, no one can predict what will happen next.