Inter Milan have another Champions League final to look forward to - once they catch their breath, that is. In the end, it took extra time, two astonishing fightbacks, and 13 goals to separate Barcelona and Inter, seeing the Italian team, who were seconds away from elimination, prevail 7-6 on aggregate after winning another roller-coaster encounter 4-3 on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (Wednesday AEST).
Substitute Davide Frattesi was the extra-time hero for Inter, firing home in the 99th minute to leave the Barcelona players slumped to the ground and all his Nerazzurri teammates racing to celebrate with him. "I don't know what happened tonight. I'm lucky I managed to finish the game, I screamed so much (in celebration) that I saw everything black," Frattesi told Italian broadcaster Sky. Moments earlier, he had been encouraging the already loud San Siro crowd to make more noise, and the atmosphere grew even more feverish after Frattesi delivered on his super-sub reputation again. "That's part of my career," the midfielder said. "I wasn't given so much incredible talent, but I am always the last one to give up and the first one to believe we can do it."
Three-time European champions Inter, who lost the 2023 final to Manchester City, will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31. PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in London last week in the first leg of their semi-final. The second leg is on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 (Thursday AEST) in Paris. Inter coach Simone Inzaghi thinks his squad has shown in wins over Barcelona in the semis and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals that they can compete against the very best. "My players have been extraordinary, they've put out there two monstrous performances to get to this final," he said. "The final will be played against a really great team, whether it's Arsenal or PSG. Barcelona and Bayern are probably the best teams in Europe at the moment, but it will still be difficult."
There was little sign of the drama to come at halftime, with Inter comfortably leading 2-0 after Lautaro Martinez scored and earned a penalty, which was converted by Hakan Calhanoglu. However, Barcelona had been in that position before, trailing 0-2 early in the first leg last week before securing a 3-3 draw. Eric Garcia scored nine minutes after the break, before Dani Olmo headed in the equaliser six minutes later. Raphina appeared to have secured the win for Barcelona when he put the Spanish side ahead two minutes before full-time, tucking away the rebound after Yann Sommer had saved his initial shot. However, 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi levelled in stoppage time - his first goal in European competition - to add another 30 minutes to the tantalising encounter.
Frattesi had proved crucial off the substitutes' bench before, both for Italy and Inter, and so he was again, controlling Mehdi Taremi's pass and dummying around Pau Cubarsi before curling past Wojciech Szczesny. Barcelona almost levelled again, but Sommer made a fingertip save to push Lamine Yamal's shot past his post. "I said to them (players) I know everyone is disappointed … but at the end we can be proud of our performance," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said.
Frattesi etched his name in Inter Milan folklore with extra-time heroics against Barcelona in an enthralling Champions League semi-final. Speaking to Sky Sport after the game via FCInterNews, the 25-year-old admitted ‘big’ goals are part of his career. Simone Inzaghi guided the Nerazzurri to their second Champions League final in three years. However, it was a semi-final tie that will go in history as one of the best since the tournament’s inception. Indeed, there was nothing to separate Inter and Barcelona after 180 minutes of play, with both legs ending 3-3 in regulation. Yet, Inter had their hero in extra time. Davide Frattesi came off the bench to inspire a remarkable triumph, sending the Serie A champions to the Munich final.
Inter will have another shot at continental glory two years after losing to Manchester City in Istanbul. Either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain will face the Nerazzurri at the Allianz Arena. But for now, it’s party time at San Siro, largely thanks to Frattesi. Davide Frattesi Ecstatic After Helping Inter Milan Beat Barcelona! "What happened? I don’t know," Frattesi said. "I just know I celebrated so hard that at one point my head was spinning and everything went black. Luckily there was the gel. I also have to thank the physios because I had slightly strained my abdomen and we did an incredible job. This win is for them." Meanwhile, Frattesi explains how he feels after reaching another Champions League final. "No, after Monaco I thought I’d never experience anything like that again in terms of emotions. But that’s the beauty of football. It’s part of my career. I’ve always been the first to believe and the last to give up. This is a reward for dedication and hard work."
Finally, he admitted he never lost hope of progressing, even when Barcelona turned the game on its head. "I couldn’t believe it, but at 3-3, I was telling Thuram we were going to go through. I have to say I was playing even from the bench because I kept standing up and putting my hands on my head!"
In the 99th minute, Marcus Thuram made a brilliant run from the right and played the ball into the area for Frattesi, who set himself before neatly guiding a curling shot into the bottom corner to send the delighted home fans into raptures. Sommer made two world-class saves from teenager Lamine Yamal to secure the hard-fought win for Inter who will bid to claim their fourth Champions League title and their first in 15 years after losing to Manchester City in the final two years ago. "I'm lucky to have finished the game, I screamed so much that I saw everything black," Frattesi told Sky Sport. "I have to thank the physiotherapists because in recent days I was not well, I dedicate the victory to them. It's incredible, I don't know what to say. Tonight the incredible happened."
Barcelona, who were chasing a treble after winning the Copa del Rey by beating Real Madrid in extra-time, will now have to focus on LaLiga, where on Sunday they host their old rivals who are in second place and trail them by four points. "Football has been very cruel to us," Barca defender Eric Garcia told Movistar Plus. "We were down 2-0 again and the character this team showed was remarkable. We are a team full of young players and this has been a great year. We still have the (Spanish) league to play for."
