Inter Beat Barcelona, Advance to UCL Final After Thrilling Fans with Epic 2-Leg Battle

Davide Frattesi's winning goal in extra time capped off one of the most dramatic semifinals in the history of the UEFA Champions League.

That was the difference as Inter Milan beat Barcelona 4-3 in the second leg and 7-6 on aggregate on Tuesday night at San Siro.

For the second week in a row, the clubs split six goals equally and Barça erased a two-goal deficit in the process. Both teams looked dead and buried at various points, only to mount a furious counterattack.

The match had just about everything, and the nerves of even neutral observers were probably frayed once the final whistle in extra time blew.

Tuesday's clash followed a similar arc from the first leg, albeit with a few alterations.

A costly turnover for Barcelona turned into a goal for Inter forward Lautaro Martínez in the 21st minute. Then Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to double the club's advantage.

Considering Inter Milan had one of the stingiest defenses in the Champions League this season, the inability for the club to maintain a two-goal edge was nothing short of shocking.

Right back Eric García got one back for Barcelona in the 54th minute with a perfectly struck volley. Six minutes later, midfielder Dani Olmo made a run at the back post to head in a cross from Gerard Martín.

Extra time appeared to be on tap with neither Inter Milan nor Barcelona budging. Then Raphinha rose to the occasion to put Barcelona ahead, only for Inter defender Francesco Acerbi to send the San Siro crowd into frenzy in the third minute of stoppage time.

With the victory, Inter Milan will meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in the final on May 31 at Allianz Arena in Munich. PSG has a slim 1-0 lead after Ousmane Dembélé scored the only goal in the first leg.

This is the second time in three years that Simone Inzaghi's side is one win away from lifting a European Cup. Manchester City outlasted Inter 1-0 in the 2023 final.

Whether PSG or Arsenal is the opponent, getting back to basics might be the tactical approach for Inzaghi. Fun as it is to watch, shipping three goals every game isn't exactly sustainable.