Inter Milan stun Barcelona to book spot in UEFA Champions League final

KATHMANDU: Inter Milan have secured their place in the UEFA Champions League final after a thrilling 7–6 aggregate victory over Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

The Italian side sealed the deal with a dramatic 4–3 win in the second leg at the San Siro on Tuesday night.

The first leg in Barcelona had ended in a 3–3 draw, setting the stage for a high-stakes return fixture.

Tuesday’s clash lived up to the billing, with both sides pushing relentlessly in a match that extended into extra time.

Inter took an early lead in the 21st minute through Lautaro Martínez.

The Argentine forward finished off a quick counterattack initiated by Denzel Dumfries with a calm strike past the keeper.

Just before halftime, Inter doubled their lead when Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted a penalty awarded after VAR confirmed Pau Cubarsí had fouled Martínez inside the box.

Referee Szymon Marciniak made no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Barcelona hit back in the second half. In the 54th minute, Eric García capitalized on a cross from Gerard Martín to pull one back.

Just six minutes later, Dani Olmo headed in a precise pass from Martín again to level the score on the night.

The Catalans looked to have clinched it in the 87th minute when Raphinha scored off a rebound after his initial shot was saved by Inter keeper Yann Sommer.

However, in dramatic fashion, Inter equalized in injury time.

Dumfries again turned provider, this time setting up Francesco Acerbi for a crucial first-time finish to send the match into extra time.

In the 99th minute, Davide Frattesi scored the decisive goal, pushing Inter 4–3 ahead on the night and 7–6 on aggregate to seal their passage to the final.

Inter now await the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG lead the tie 1–0 after the first leg.

The final is scheduled for May 31.