Barcelona and Inter Milan played out a modern-day UEFA Champions League classic in the first leg of their semi final at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. Inter, despite having so little of the ball, had stormed into a 2-0 lead by the 21st minute, only for the genius of Lamine Yamal to drag Barcelona back. Hansi Flick’s team would finish with over 70 per cent possession, but it was Inter who led again in the second half before another wonder strike, this time from Raphinha, gave the home team parity.
Fans had barely settled into their seats when Marcus Thuram gave Inter the lead, with an audacious flick from a Denzil Dumfries cross. A stunned Barcelona responded by piling on the pressure, with Yamal hitting the post from an acute angle – Yann Sommer got a fingertip to it – and the game being played almost entirely in Inter’s half.
But Simone Inzaghi’s side always carried a threat on the counter, and they doubled their lead from a corner. Federico Dimarco swung it in, Francesco Acerbi nodded on, and Dumfries produced a sublime acrobatic volley that left Wojciech Szczesny grasping at air.
Three minutes later though, Yamal picked up the ball near the right touchline and drove towards the box. He ghosted past Henrikh Mkhitaryan and even as Dimarco and Alessandro Bastoni tried to close home down, he curled a glorious shot in off the far post.
In the 38th minute, minutes after Sommer had made a vital stop off Dani Olmo, Barcelona were level. Pedri arced a superb cross that Raphinha headed back across goal, and Ferran Torres darted in to supply the finish.
Inter were rocked by Lautaro Martinez going off injured at half time, replaced by Mehdi Taremi. By then, Barcelona had already lost Jules Kounde, substituted by Eric Garcia, and Flick started the second half by withdrawing Gerard Martin and bringing on the experience of Ronald Araujo.
Dumfries continues to threaten down the right, but it was from a corner that Inter retook the lead. This time, Hakan Calhanoglu delivered it, and Dumfries towered over Olmo to head home. Within a minute though, Olmo would make amends, playing a corner along the ground towards the edge of the box. Yamal dummied it, and Raphinha struck it beautifully. It brushed Sommer’s fingers, crashed on to the bar and then into the net off the luckless keeper’s back.
Mkhitaryan then had a goal disallowed by VAR for an offside too close to call, and there was more drama including a Yamal cross that struck the post. No more goals though, leaving the tie beautifully poised for the second leg in Milan.
“It is not going to be easy as we lost or captain, our leader Lautaro Martinez,” said Mkhitaryan after the match. “We have to try do our best to replace him.”