Champions League: Inter beat Barca in an instant classic
The magnificent 4-3 win in the Champions League semi-final was a summation of everything Inzaghi’s Inter Milan have stood for
Kolkata: Twice in the tie, Inter Milan had blown a two-goal lead. Over two legs of this Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, Inter had conceded more goals than they had in the previous 12 matches. When Raphinha struck, they looked to be on their last legs and were three minutes of normal time away from elimination. And still Inter rose.
By making their second Champions League final in three seasons after the 7-6 aggregate win (the joint-highest in a semi-final alongside Liverpool beating Roma in 2017-18), Inter have flown the flag for Italy, a country that could do with some cheerleading. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called Italy’s infrastructure a “shame.” Bookending a European title were two failed World Cup qualification campaigns and after Switzerland eliminated them in the Euros last year, Gary Lineker told BBC that he had not seen a “worse Italian team than this.”
From the highs of the 1980s and 90s the Serie A has fallen off its perch. The World Cup win in 2006 was followed by Calciopoli scandal which led to Juventus being relegated. After 2009-10 no Italian club has won the Champions League. For perspective, consider this: Spanish clubs have won it eight times, English clubs four times and Bayern Munich twice.
Five Italian teams made the Champions League but only Inter survived the round of 16. And they have had ownership issues, financial problems and ballooning debts. Through it all, Simone Inzaghi had forged a squad that is the oldest (average age of Inter’s starting 11 was 30.1 as per transfermarkt; Barcelona’s was 23.4 according to givemesport.com) but is ready for a scrap. Still Serie A champions, Inter are now unbeaten in 16 home matches in Europe.
“We had some problems but with heart, we went over every obstacle,” Inzaghi told Uefa.com. “Probably Bayern Munich and Barcelona were the two best teams in Europe (this term),” he said. “We need to be proud of what we have done.”
Like Antonio Conte, Inzaghi prefers back three but Inter are more pleasing to watch. Against Barcelona, Inter had 37% possession but they top the list in Serie A with 59.9%, as per fbref.com. And Inter have scored 73 goals, the most in the league this term (leaders Napoli have 55). Explains how they got seven against Barcelona, even though the last two came from unexpected quarters.
Francesco Acerbi had never scored in the Champions League. More used to locking down Europe’s top forwards and throwing away the key, the 37-year-old had not scored a goal since April 2023 but in 90+3 on a wet Tuesday in Milan, he flicked Denzel Dumfries’s ball into the roof of Wojciech Szcęsny’s net. Coming from a cancer survivor and a central defender who had popped up in a centre forward’s position after Yann Sommer went long, this was some lifeline.
The match level on 3-3 meant the wild, wonderful night was not stopping just yet. Inter had gone ahead through Lautaro Martinez (21), the assist coming from right wingback Dumfries, his fourth goal contribution of the tie, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s penalty (45+1) after VAR ruled that Pau Cubarsi had kicked Martinez. Barcelona griped that decisions were not going their way when Yamal was felled by Henrikh Mkhitaryan and earlier when Alessandro Bastoni had an arm on him but they pulled back through a stunning volley from Eric Garcia (54) before Dani Olmo headed home in the 60th, stand-in left back Gerard Martin providing the assists.
Barcelona had been kept at bay, the threat of Lamine Yamal contained collectively but now Inter were being pushed back. It was then that Sommer came into the match. He denied Garcia in the 56th and Yamal from range in the 77th and again in the 113th minutes. Sommer had 61 touches, only Bastoni had more, and made seven saves.
But Barcelona do not stop coming at you. An earlier version, with gnome-like midfielders, changed football in the aughts. In their current avatar, Barcelona press as a pack, fizz with attacking talent and are not afraid to use a high line (Inter were off-side five times by the 71st minute).
Pedri ran all night and along with Frenkie de Jong was responsible for the second-half resurgence. With his 13th goal in 14 Champions League matches, Raphinha, continuing on Barcelona’s long line of excellent attacking players from Brazil, nearly put the tie to bed. In the 107th minute, Yamal found space like only he can and crossed to Robert Lewandowski who headed over. Nine minutes later, Yamal again tested Sommer.
By then, Davide Frattesi had swung in Mehdi Taremi’s cushioned pass after Marcus Thuram managed to shrug off fatigue and Barcelona’s challenges in the way that would do his father Lillian, in the stands, proud. Frattesi was not supposed to be there because he was injured at the weekend. “I wasn’t blessed with incredible talent, but I never give up and always believe and this is the reward for all my effort and dedication,” Frattesi said. It was a summation of everything Inzaghi’s Inter have stood for.
