Inter Win Champions League Tie of the Decade in Quest for Fourth Title

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San Siro Exterior
San Siro (Adam Amorai / flickr.com)

The European Cup was first played in 1956 when Real Madrid beat French side Reims 4-3 in a champagne final, three times coming from behind. Marseille won in 1992/93, the first season in which the competition was rebranded as the Champions League; the final was a much duller affair in which the French side beat Milan 1-0.

Over the years, the competition has produced no end of thrilling nights and moments, with Liverpool’s incredible comeback from 3-0 down to win the 2005 final and Man United’s late, late show against Bayern Munich in the 1999 showpiece just two obvious examples featuring English teams. UEFA’s premier tournament has also delivered plenty of matches that have underwhelmed, with big games at the latter stages particularly prone to being anticlimactic.

Prior to Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund last year, itself hardly a thriller, we saw four consecutive finals end 1-0. That score does not automatically condemn a game from an excitement perspective, but all four were cagey and tactical, with none seeing the blue touch paper lit. Semi finals in the Champions League are also often tense affairs, with the huge prize of a final often acting to inhibit players.

Inter and Barcelona Produce Two Magical Nights of Football and One Mesmeric Tie

Inter Milan and FC Barcelona Logos

One of the beauties of sport is the way in which moments of magic, brilliance and drama punctuate periods where the less committed fan is considering a change of channel. Goals in football are all the more exciting and thrilling because they occur infrequently. At least, they normally occur infrequently.

Over two games, Barcelona and Internazionale treated us to over 200 minutes of breathtaking football and a record-equalling 13 goals. Inter rarely get the credit they deserve, but under the astute management of Simone Inzaghi, they have now won Serie A (and may win it again this season, though that now seems unlikely), two Coppas Italia, and made the Champions League final twice. They lost 1-0 to Man City in 2023 but return for another go at claiming their fourth win, in what will be their seventh final.

But back to the semi, a tie that will truly live a long time in the memory of all those who saw it. The first game was a topsy-turvy affair that saw Inter race into a 2-0 lead after just 21 minutes, stunning the home crowd. Barca fought back to 2-2, playing some magical football, but their high defensive line left them far too open and the Italians regained their lead after 64 minutes.

It didn’t last long though; in the 65th minute, Champions League star and leading goalscorer Raphinha blasted a shot against the bar, the ball bouncing into the net off the back of the unfortunate goalie. The game was an end-to-end thriller, packed with fantastic goals, and whilst the home side dominated in terms of possession and shots, Inter looked so dangerous on the counter.

Second Leg Starts Slowly but Builds to Astounding Crescendo

The return fixture at the San Siro had a lot to live up to, and it seemed for a while that it might disappoint. The first fixture saw three goals, including a total worldie from Lamine Yamal, inside four minutes and yet the second was 0-0 after 20 relatively cagey minutes.

However, in the 21st minute, Inter’s skipper Lautaro Martinez gave the hosts the lead. Inter pressed Barca superbly and the Argentine was left with an easy finish. On the stroke of half-time, Inter scored a penalty after VAR correctly intervened and again they had a two-goal cushion.

Again, however, Barca fought back. Eric Garcia gave them a lifeline after 54 minutes, and on the hour mark Dani Olmo was left unmarked and powered home a header to level things up at 5-5 overall. It was now all Barcelona, with the home team looking tired and unable to get much of the ball or even get out of their own half.

They defended resolutely though, with Swiss stopper Yann Sommer making some first-class saves. It looked like we were headed for extra time until Raphinha found space inside the area and then produced an excellent finish after his initial effort was saved. With three minutes left, Barcelona led for the first time in the whole tie.

With 92 minutes on the clock, Yamal struck a brilliant effort against the post that would have surely ended the tie. Less than 45 seconds later football did what only football can do and, somehow, Inter scored. Mayhem ensued, made even crazier as fans realised that the goalscorer was 37-year-old centre back Francesco Acerbi. The defender was playing his 36th game in the CL and had never before scored and yet he produced a finish that any great striker would have been proud of. With the scoreline level at 6-6, it was time for extra time.

With both teams showing signs of fatigue, extra time was more cautious than the preceding 180 minutes had been. Nine minutes into the first period, though, Inter struck the decisive goal. After brilliant, powerful play from Marcus Thuram, sub Davide Frattesi produced a moment of magic and a sublime finish into the far corner. Yet again Inter had the lead, and this time they had just 21 minutes to retain it.

Barcelona were subdued and managed just one shot, a poor effort from sub Hector Fort from distance, in the first period of extra time. They were better in the second 15 and could easily have taken the game to penalties but Robert Lewandowski headed their best chance over the bar from close range. The hosts clung on for victory, and they will return for a second Champions League final in three seasons, whilst Barca’s wait for another final goes on, their last having come back in 2015.

Title Number Four?

Champions League 2024/25 Outright Betting

Inter last won this competition under Jose Mourinho back in 2010 when they denied favourites Bayern 2-0 in the final. This time it will be PSG or Arsenal and Inter will probably start as the outsider either way. However, under Inzaghi they have shown incredible resilience, will to win and are a huge danger on the counter.

If they can claim a fourth Champions League (including European Cups) win, they will move above Man United and level with Ajax. The Italian side first won it in 1964, then again in 1965 (and finally in 2010), while they lost in the final in 1967, 1972 and 2023. Whatever happens in 2025, though, they, along with Barcelona, have provided us with two of the great games of the competition’s long history.