Inter 4-3 Barcelona (aet, 7-6 on agg): Champions League semi-final – as it happened | Champions League
Key events
Jonathan Liew was at San Siro tonight, and his verdict has landed. Here it is! Congratulations to Inter, commiserations to Barcelona, here’s to both teams for serving up such wonderful entertainment, and thanks to you for reading this MBM.
Hansi Flick’s verdict: “I’m very disappointed that we’re out … I’m not disappointed about the performance of my team … they tried everything … in the second half we were really good … I don’t want to speak about the referee but every 50-50 decision was for them … in the end it was like that and that’s what made me a bit sad.”
Way back in the mists of time, VAR had a look at a potential red card in the immediate wake of Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s penalty. Turns out that was because Iñigo Martínez appeared to spit in the direction of Francesco Acerbi. Nothing clear and obvious it would seem to have been decided, but after such an epic tie … well, if that’s the case, what a shame. Let us hope the incident looks worse than it actually was.
Barcelona defender Eric García talks to Amazon. “First half, going 2-0 down was tough … our reaction in the second half was amazing … we had chances to close the game … it’s a shame … we need to be proud of what we did … for me the first penalty was never a penalty … I was really close … then the equaliser for 3-3 you always whistle a foul … but you have to get going … we have to be proud of this season … nobody believed in us … Yann Sommer did some amazing saves … if we look at the game we have been the better team … they are really effective when they have chances … they scored and that’s something we need to look at in the future.”
Inter keeper Yann Sommer, who made 14 saves over the two legs and has been named tonight’s player of the match, speaks to Amazon Prime. “It was a crazy game … I am really proud of this team … we were already out … then we came back … amazing … you don’t have a lot of chances to go to a final … we knew the last four minutes of extra time, this is our last chance … we put everything on the pitch … we are very happy and I am looking forward to the final … everything was on our side, then changed on their side … we came back, they came back … we did really well as a team … we put a lot of things together … [the save from Lamine Yamal] gave us energy … PSG and Arsenal are both good teams … we enjoy this win tonight and it is easy tomorrow night from the couch … we will see.”
Inter’s captain and first-half force-of-nature Lautaro Martínez speaks to Amazon Prime. “Incredible … I’m so happy … so proud … so grateful to fans and family … I wasn’t in a great place … not 100 percent … the medical staff worked so hard to help me to play today … anything is possible … we’ll do what we can … there is just one more step to go … we will do all we can to get Inter to the summit of European football.”
Hats off to Lamine Yamal, 17, who somewhere in the multiverse is tonight’s match-clinching hero. But in the real world it didn’t work out like that for him. His dreams may be crushed, in outrageously dramatic style, but here he is, respectfully watching Inter as they celebrate. Many older men have, in times gone by, thrown a tanty or flounced. Speaking of older men, Kári Tulinius offers: “Of all the ludicrous moments in this tie, I fear not enough will be made of Francesco Acerbi, a 37-year-old centre-back tearing up the field to equalise at the death, all the while moving with the ease and grace of a 37-year-old centre-back.”
The match-winner Davide Frattesi jigs around in delight! He’s not joined in that by too many of his team-mates, though, because to a man Inter are so exhausted, all they can do is drop to the floor in mellow bliss. By contrast, Barcelona, who contributed so much to this instant classic, are both drained and disbelieving. Poor young Lamine Yamal with a thousand-yard stare. He was the width of a post away from securing his side’s place in the final … but then Francesco Acerbi salvaged Inter’s hopes and dreams. Such a shame there has to be a loser, but that’s top-level sport for you, and while the margins are slim, it’s hard to argue against Inter deserving their victory over the entire piece. Barcelona were brilliant; Inter have been simply magnificent. A fourth European Cup for the Nerazzurri is merely a match away; Barca will have to wait for number six.
EXTRA TIME, FULL TIME: Internazionale 4-3 Barcelona (agg 7-6)
Internazionale win an epic by the odd goal in 13! They’ll play either PSG or Arsenal in the Munich final!
ET 30 min +1: Lopez heads into the Inter box from the left. Araujo tries to poke home at the near post but only manages to clip De Vrij. A pressure-releasing foul, and Inter are so close now!
ET 30 min: There will be two additional minutes. Can Inter hang on? Can Barca save themselves at the death, just as Inter did earlier on?
ET 29 min: Yamal is trying everything. He tears in from the right and shoots. Deflected. Over. Raphinha whips the corner under the bar. Sommer tips the ball over it. Raphinha’s second corner is half-cleared, then returned into the mixer, but Lewandowski can’t control.
ET 28 min: Yamal jinks in from the right and is hauled back by Bastoni, who goes into the book.
ET 27 min: Frattesi grooves down the right and draws a foul from Raphinha. Barcelona now getting a bit desperate. Inter not rushing to restart.
ET 26 min: Inter sitting deep now. What they have, they want to keep. Barcelona continue to probe. Yamal has another whack, this time from a tight angle down the inside-right channel. Sommer parries strongly again, and though the ball balloons up towards Lewandowski, the big man can’t keep his header down and it loops over the bar. That was far from easy.
ET 24 min: Lewandowski spins into space in the centre circle and sprays a pass wide right for Yamal, who enters the box at pace and whips a stunner towards the top-left corner. It’s heading in, but Sommer extends a telescopic arm to fingertip around the post. That’s a sensational save. Nothing comes of the corner. First he hit the post before the Inter equaliser, now this; Yamal must wonder how how he’s not scored tonight.
ET 23 min: Raphinha’s loose touch in midfield gifts Zieliński the opportunity to launch a counter … but a heavy touch hands the ball straight back to Barcelona. The tension palpable.
ET 22 min: For the first time this evening, Barcelona look a little bereft of ideas. There’s no way through the Inter back line, and Fort eventually skelps a wild cross out of play.
ET 21 min: The rain is still coming down in stair rods. Simone Inzaghi’s suit is absolutely saturated, possibly ruined. If his team hang on, he will care not one jot.
ET 20 min: Yamal sends a cross out of play from the right. Sommer isn’t busting a gut to get to retrieve the ball.
ET 19 min: The ball breaks to Frattesi on the edge of the Barca box. He opens his body and aims powerfully for the bottom left. Szczęsny saves well, because that was flying in. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
ET 18 min: Dumfries, who has been exceptional in this tie from the get-go last week, has run his race. He’s replaced by De Vrij, having put in one of the all-time shifts.
ET 17 min: Yamal jinks his way down the right and reaches the byline, before wedging into the six-yard box. Sommer flaps and misses. Lewandowski meets the ball six yards out, but can’t keep his header down. Over the bar. A good chance spurned.
ET 16 min: Gavi’s immediately into the action, nearly worming his way into the Inter box down the middle. But Darmian comes across to hack clear.
Barcelona replace Cubarsi and Pedri with Gavi and the already-booked Pau Victor … then get the second period of extra time underway.
EXTRA TIME, HALF TIME: Internazionale 4-3 Barcelona (agg 7-6)
The whistle goes for the break. Inter aren’t happy, because Taremi thought he was scuttling clear down the inside-left channel, only for the referee to put an end to proceedings. Simone Inzaghi far from happy, and it takes a couple of his players to talk him out of engaging the referee in a short conversation.
ET 15 min +3: The free kick’s launched long for Dumfries, who briefly causes some bother down the right wing but can’t find a team-mate.
ET 15 min +2: Thuram draws a foul from Araujo out on the left. They don’t rush to take the free kick. Everyone eventually hangs around the edge of the Barca box.
ET 15 min +1: Yamal swings a cross in from the right, hoping to find the head of Lewandowski. But it’s an easy pluck for Sommer.
ET 15 min: There will be three additional minutes to this first period of extra time.
ET 14 min: Fort has a whack from distance. Full marks for ambition if nothing else.
ET 13 min: Frattesi is good to continue. Meanwhile, as if this epic isn’t widescreen enough, the heavens open to deposit biblical quantities of rain on San Siro.
ET 12 min: Frattesi goes down and requires some treatment. A rare pause in play. We’ve hardly stopped all evening!
ET 10 min: In the dugout, Hansi Flick, arms tightly crossed, slips into a deep, quiet funk. He must have been dreaming of a return to Munich for the final. Within touching distance. But now so far away.
GOAL! Internazionale 4-3 Barcelona (Frattesi 99); agg 7-6
Thuram causes Barca all sorts of bother down the right. He reaches the byline by spinning his man, then cuts back for Taremi, who cushions the ball into the path of Frattesi. One touch, then a fierce whip around Szczęsny and into the left-hand side of the net! Bedlam! Inter were down and out, but now look! San Siro takes off for the moon!
ET 8 min: Garcia is replaced by 18-year-old defender Héctor Fort.
ET 6 min: Yamal’s crossfield pass finds Martin in space down the left … but the resulting cross isn’t of early-second-half standard. Inter clear their lines.
ET 4 min: Thuram probes down the right but can’t work space to shoot. Inter win a throw, though, and Darmian flings it into the mixer. De Jong hoicks it clear. A slightly scrappy start to extra time, but after the entertainment these lads have served up, we’ll forgive them anything.
ET 3 min: Some behaviour-infused admin. When Hansi Flick was booked for effing and jeffing, so too was as-yet-unused sub Pau Victor.
About Post Author
