Inter Milan defeated FC Barcelona 4-3 after extra time in a dramatic UEFA Champions League semi-final at San Siro, earning a 7-6 aggregate victory to advance to their sixth European Cup final.
With goals from Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Lautaro Martínez, the latter of whom converted a VAR-confirmed penalty, Inter Milan seized an early lead. Eric García and Dani Olmo’s goals for Barcelona in the second half tied the score. After that, Raphinha gave Barcelona the lead in the 87th minute, but extra time was required since Francesco Acerbi equalized in stoppage time.
Davide Frattesi gave Inter the game-winning goal in extra time to guarantee their spot in the championship game. Yann Sommer, the goalie, was key, making many vital stops and winning player of the match.
Simone Inzaghi, the manager of Inter, commended his team’s tenacity and pointed to their wins over Barcelona and Bayern Munich as noteworthy accomplishments on their path to the championship game. He praised the team’s perseverance, particularly in light of the injuries sustained by important players like Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martínez, and Denzel Dumfries.
Hansi Flick, the coach of Barcelona, praised Inter’s impressive performance and stated his intention to return stronger the next year.
There was some controversy surrounding the match. A social media video purportedly showed Iñigo Martínez of Barcelona spitting at Francesco Acerbi of Inter following Çalhanoğlu’s penalty kick. Though it was not addressed during the game, the event has raised questions regarding possible disciplinary measures.
Inter Milan will meet the winner of the Paris Saint-Germain vs. Arsenal semi-final in the Champions League final. The victory represents Inter’s second final participation under Inzaghi, who also guided them to the 2023 final.
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