Inter Milan 4 Barcelona 3 (aet, 7-6 agg): Frattesi extra time goal seals one of the greatest Champions League ties ever
FORGET the final, give Inter Milan the Champions League – nothing will top this.
Neither Arsenal nor Paris Saint-Germain will want to face Simone Inzaghi’s monsters, anyway.
They triumphed over Barcelona in the greatest of semi-finals and in the most dramatic of fashion.
These two served up an instant classic a week ago, and went all out to top it at the San Siro.
Inter were cruising after another flying start, floored after Barcelona came back from the dead again.
Somehow they had more left and, for all of Barcelona’s comebacks across this unforgettable tie, it was the Nerazzurri who produced one when it counted, sealed by Davide Frattesi in extra time.
The Inter sub showed a composure few could believe amid the mania of this match – finishing off a move which was made by Marcus Thuram’s brilliance.
Thuram refused to give up down the right, beat two Barca defenders and laid off for Mehdi Taremi, who teed up Frattesi to, finally, kill off this most stubborn opponent.
Barcelona had come from behind three times in this tie.
Raphinha thought he had won it in the 87th minute, putting them ahead for the first time.
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But no one counted on a 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi getting his first Champions League goal, in the 93rd minute, to give everyone what we wanted – more.
Barca’s would-be match winner collapsed to his knees and this proved one comeback too far for Hansi Flick’s men.
Their wait for a Champions League final goes on past a decade now, Inter have reached their second in three years.
The exuberant home fans earlier welcomed their team bus with a frenzy of fireworks and flares.
Inzaghi’s men had surprised everyone with their attacking intent and effectiveness in an enthralling first leg.
An expectant San Siro wanted more of the same and were not disappointed.
It was the same plan as a week ago – trying to punish the visitors’ nauseatingly high line – and it bore more fruit.
Inter looked primed to race into another early lead, and did just that.
Denzel Dumfries, who scored a brace last week, was sent one-on-one by Federico Dimarco but despite his devastating work six days ago, the Dutchman selflessly squared for his skipper.
Lautaro Martinez, passed fit to start after being a major doubt, capitalised on the empty net and raced away to celebrate with a surging sea of black and blue – none of them knowing what they were about to be put through.
Inter, famed for defending a tight lead, would not sit back.
Dumfries still barrelled forwards and the two strikers proved a nuisance.
Barca looked in desperate need of some experience. They had lost Jules Kounde and Pau Cubarsi, 18, was struggling.
Hakan Calhanoglu flashed an effort wide but would soon get a much better one thanks to the teenager.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan slipped one of many dangerous ball through for Martinez to race after, Cubarsi was caught out and restricted to a late lunge.
Referee Szymon Marciniak, waved the shouts away and the San Siro erupted, a din of whistles as their captain writhed on the deck.
Eventually, Marciniak was sent to the monitor and corrected the decision, allowing Calhanoglu to step up and – for the second time in this tie – put his side two clear of Barca.
Inter had dumped Barca in an almighty hole, again. The young visitors looked lost in the pit of this famous old stadium.
For a while even the older players looked as bamboozled as the kids.
But Barcelona players, young and old, have a muscle memory for comebacks, not just that famous “Remontada” against Paris Saint-Germain eight years ago.
It was brilliance which got them going in the first leg, this was more traditional – but nonetheless incredibly impressive.
Eric Garcia, the former Manchester City man, thumped home to convert Gerard Martin’s cross less than 10 minutes after the restart.
Inter’s breaks had been limited, Barcelona looked themselves again with Pedri composed and conducting things.
It was Martin again who made the second, lifting an exquisite ball over the Inter defence from deep, placed perfectly for Olmo to run onto and head Barca level, from two down – again.
The hosts looked like Barcelona’s latest recovery act had finally knocked it out of them.
Inter were struggling and Inzaghi rattled through five changes in a bid to revive them.
But they looked to have failed.
Pedri spotted Raphinha in space on the left, picking out the ex-Leeds winger.
His first shot was fired at Yann Sommer, but the Swiss sent is straight back and Raphinha did not waste his second helping.
The home fans were silent, they had given up. But their players had not. Dumfries – again – kept going and crossed for Acerbi, who converted first time to take this tie beyond the realms of ridiculous and crush Barca.
There is talk of tearing San Siro down. Those celebrations almost did the job anyway.
Inter, unfancied, had matched Barca blow for blow and taken them to the end.
Flick’s tikes refused to fold even after Frattesi’s winner, Yamal twice stopped by Sommer, but this was finally too much to come back from.
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