Barcelona and Inter Milan played out a thrilling 3–3 draw in a Champions League semi-final first-leg showdown on Wednesday night, setting up a finely poised return leg at the San Siro.
The Italian visitors burst out of the blocks, racing into a two-goal lead thanks to well-taken strikes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries. But Barcelona, led by the electrifying Lamine Yamal, roared back in a breathless contest at the Olympic Stadium.
Yamal pulled one back with a moment of individual brilliance, and Ferran Torres equalised for the Catalans. Although Dumfries struck again to restore Inter’s lead, a Yann Sommer own goal late in the second half ensured the tie remains on a knife edge heading into next Tuesday’s decisive second leg.
“Conceding that many goals at home is unacceptable,” admitted Raphinha, who forced the equaliser with a powerful shot. “But credit to Inter—they played very well. The important thing is we leave with a result where anything can still happen.”
Despite suffering three straight defeats in domestic competitions, Inter showed resilience and quality in Spain.
“After three losses, this was the real Inter,” said Dumfries. “We played with heart and I’m proud. Of course, we wanted to win, but it was a strong performance—and it’s still wide open.”
Inter had been sweating on Thuram’s fitness following a thigh injury, and the Frenchman wasted no time repaying that faith. Just 30 seconds in—making it the fastest goal ever in a Champions League semi-final—he flicked home a low cross from Dumfries with a deft back-heel, exploiting a slip from Inigo Martinez.
Barcelona responded by seizing control and pushing forward, with Yamal at the heart of everything on his 100th appearance for the club.
Yet it was Inter who struck again against the run of play. Francesco Acerbi flicked on a corner and Dumfries pounced with an acrobatic finish to double the visitors’ lead.
But Barcelona’s young team under Hansi Flick showed they are not weighed down by the club’s recent European disappointments. Just three minutes later, Yamal carved open Inter’s defence with a dazzling solo run, gliding past Henrikh Mkhitaryan and curling an inch-perfect shot in off the post—making him the youngest ever scorer in a Champions League semi-final.
The 16-year-old, who had dismissed comparisons to Lionel Messi before the match, produced a moment that could have come straight from the Argentine’s highlight reel.
Moments later, Yamal nearly repeated the feat—this time darting outside and leaving Federico Dimarco sprawled off the pitch. From a tight angle, his powerful shot was tipped onto the bar by Sommer.
Barcelona’s pressure paid off again when Pedri floated a cross into the box, Raphinha headed it across goal, and Torres bundled home the equaliser after 38 breathless minutes.
The drama continued as Jules Koundé limped off just before the break, while Inter captain Lautaro Martinez was also forced off injured.
Inter began the second half more composed and eventually regained the lead through a set-piece. Dumfries rose highest to meet a corner, and his header deflected in off Dani Olmo for his second goal of the night.
But once again, Barcelona hit back almost immediately. Yamal stepped over a corner routine at the edge of the area, letting the ball run to Raphinha, whose blistering shot cannoned off the crossbar and rebounded in off Sommer’s back for a cruel own goal.
The end-to-end tempo didn’t relent. Pau Cubarsí made a crucial recovery tackle to deny Thuram, and Mkhitaryan thought he had scored Inter’s fourth—only for it to be ruled out by a razor-thin offside call. “I’ll probably think about that chance for the rest of my life,” the Armenian said afterward.
Yamal almost won it late on, looping a second effort onto the crossbar, but neither side could find a winner.
The second leg takes place next Tuesday at the San Siro, with the aggregate winner set to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in the final at Munich’s Allianz Arena on May 31.
