Before FC Barcelona and Inter Milan faced each other, there were many different expectations and predictions. Each team seemed to have the chance to leave the Olympic Stadium as a winner, although Barcelona had an edge. After all, they were just coming down from the high of winning the Copa del Rey. Ultimately, the match they played ended up being one of the best of this Champions League season.
It only took thirty seconds for the first goal to be scored. Almost immediately after the kickoff, Denzel Dumfries and Marcus Thuram ran towards Barcelona’s net. Wojchech Szczęsny was not able to fend them off. After Dumfries’ pass, Thuram ended the action with a stylish back-heeled flick.
Barca felt the pressure and began pushing the Italian team. Ferran Torras had two great chances to equalise the score, but failed to finish either of them with a goal. Before he could try for the third time, Inter was given a corner. Francesco Acerbi won the header and passed the ball to Dumfries, whose impressive overhead shot raised Inter’s lead.
Just like that, with three quarters of the game still to go, Barcelona was losing 2:0 in front of their own crowd. It wasn’t the first time this season that they were forced to chase the score. Still, the situation was less than comfortable for the fans gathered on the Olympic Stadium.
Not a lot of time needed to pass before Barca responded. In the 24th minute of the game, the 17-year-old Lamine Yamal scored his team’s first goal. This seemed to awaken the other players. They began pressing even harder, creating multiple actions that were just inches away from changing the score.
The coveted goal did come. Fifteen minutes after Yamal’s showing, the ball landed by Pedri’s capable legs. He was quick to lob it over to Raphinha, who took it on his head and redirected it towards Ferran Torres. The talented striker used the chance to equalise the score. Despite their situation looking tragic, Barcelona managed to dig itself out of the ditch of the first twenty minutes.
The second half began with substitutions for Inter and Barcelona. The game slowed the hectic pace it had reached in the first 45 minutes. That was until the 63rd minute. It was then that a corner for Inter led to Dumfries scoring for the second time. As the Italian team rejoiced, Barca once again found themselves behind their rival.
The difference in the score didn’t last for long. Only two minutes after Dumfries’ header, Raphinha shot an undefendably strong ball. It hit both the top bar and Yann Sommer’s head, classifying the goal as an own one. With 25 minutes of regular time left, the score was 3:3, and the game still ripe for the taking.
Barcelona was the unquestionable leader of the last minutes. Inter did have one more chance at a goal that ended up being offside, but aside from that, the Catalan team dominated the field. They pressed hard, never leaving their opponents any room to breathe. Still, despite a few great chances, none of their many attacks led to a goal. The team had to settle for a somewhat disappointing draw.
While the game left the viewers with an even playing field for the second leg, it was anything but boring. Barcelona and Inter will face off again on May 6th, this time in Italy. The promotion to the final of the Champions League is still up for the taking for either team. If the upcoming match is even half as entertaining as this one, no soccer fan in the world will want to miss it.
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