In a thrilling encounter at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona and Inter Milan battled to a dramatic 3-3 draw in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final on April 30, 2025. The match showcased a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams displaying their attacking prowess and resilience.
It took just 30 seconds for Inter to stun the home crowd when Marcus Thuram opened the scoring with an audacious heel kick, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack initiated by Denzel Dumfries. This goal marked the fastest in Champions League semi-final history, leaving Barcelona reeling from the start.
Inter continued to press their advantage and doubled their lead in the 21st minute. Following a corner, Dumfries executed an impressive acrobatic finish, putting the visitors up 2-0. The situation looked dire for Barcelona, but the team showed remarkable character, spearheaded by 17-year-old Lamine Yamal.
Yamal, who has been turning heads all season, pulled one back for Barcelona in the 24th minute with a stunning solo effort. The young winger danced past several Inter defenders before curling a shot into the net, igniting hope among the home fans.
As the first half progressed, Barcelona found their rhythm. A well-timed delivery from Pedri set up Ferran Torres, who equalized in the 38th minute with a close-range header, bringing the score to 2-2 before the break. The home side's resurgence was palpable, and they headed into halftime with renewed energy.
The second half continued the trend of back-and-forth action. Dumfries struck again for Inter in the 64th minute, netting his second goal of the match to make it 3-2. However, the drama was far from over. Just a minute later, Barcelona's Rafinha capitalized on a fortunate rebound that deflected off Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, leveling the score at 3-3.
Despite both teams pushing for a winner, the match ended in a stalemate. Yamal nearly scored again late in the game, hitting the crossbar with a powerful shot in the 88th minute, but ultimately, neither side could find the decisive goal.
Player of the Match honors went to Denzel Dumfries, who not only contributed two goals but also played a crucial role in defense. "He was solid defensively and very decisive in attack. He delivered a fantastic assist for the first goal and scored two magnificent goals himself - a tremendous achievement for a match of this level," praised Inter coach Simone Inzaghi.
Inzaghi reflected on the match, noting, "We witnessed a fantastic game, and we knew how difficult semi-finals could be. Even a win was possible for us. Our fans know that during this tough moment, we gave everything, and we realize that next Tuesday will be a 'final' for us."
Barcelona's head coach Hans-Dieter Flick expressed pride in his team's comeback, stating, "We started poorly but quickly got back into the game. The second half was thrilling. We have another match in this rivalry, and we need to win it. I think the term 'final before the final' fits here! At 0-2, I understood that this was a semi-final of great clubs, and I knew that the opponents were ready to showcase their vast experience. Nevertheless, Lamine paved our way to goal. His goal that made it 1-2 was very important."
Rafinha, reflecting on the match, said, "Given that we played at home, there’s a feeling that we could have achieved a better result. It’s fair to give credit to Inter as they did their job very well. At 0-2, we simply maintained our composure and began to fight to claw back the deficit. We started to show our game, imposing our plan. Overall, perhaps we took too many risks, but we wanted to achieve a positive result."
The match statistics were telling: Thuram's opening goal set a record, while Yamal became the youngest player to score in a Champions League semi-final at just 17 years and 291 days, breaking Kylian Mbappé's previous record.
As the teams prepare for the return leg in Milan on May 6, both sides will be keen to advance to the final. The winner of this semi-final will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final at the Arena Munich on May 31.
With the stakes higher than ever, fans can expect another thrilling encounter as Barcelona looks to overturn the tie on Inter's home turf. This match has set the stage for what promises to be a captivating conclusion to one of the most prestigious tournaments in football.
