Fans were entertained to stunning goals as Barcelona and Inter Milan played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in their semifinal first leg fixture, at the Camp Nou. Inter took the Alexandre Pato route and attacked right at kick-off as Marcus Thuram used the back of his heel to turn in a cross just seconds into the match. Then Denzel Dumfries, who assisted Thuram earlier, scored a stunning bicycle kick goal in the 21st-minute.
Barcelona responded in the 24th-minute via Lamine Yamal. The teenage sensation dribbled past two defenders and curled in a shot off the far post, and got close with an equaliser moments later, but his shot was an angle off the crossbar. Just before half-time in the 38th-minute, Ferran Torres scored to make it 2-2.
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The visitors lost talisman Lautaro Martinez at half-time, but came up with the perfect response. Dumfries headed home a corner to put his side back in the lead in the 63rd-minute. Two minutes later, Raphinha equalised for Barcelona with a screamer, which hit the crossbar, and then deflected off the diving goalkeeper’s head to the top-right corner.
Speaking after the match, Inter skipper Martinez was asked about Yamal’s comparisons with Argentina skipper Lionel Messi. Martinez and Messi are international teammates. He said, “For me, Leo [Messi] is incomparable, because Leo is and will always be the best player of all time.”
{{/usCountry}}Speaking after the match, Inter skipper Martinez was asked about Yamal’s comparisons with Argentina skipper Lionel Messi. Martinez and Messi are international teammates. He said, “For me, Leo [Messi] is incomparable, because Leo is and will always be the best player of all time.”
{{/usCountry}}“I'm not going to make that comparison. All I can say is that Lamine is an important player, we've all seen him, we all know him,” he added.
Meanwhile ahead of the match, Yamal also rejected the comparison. During the pre-match press conference, he said, “I don't compare myself to him, because I don't compare myself to anyone - and much less with Messi.”
“I don't think the comparison makes sense, with Messi even less - I'm going to enjoy myself, and be myself,” he added.