Champions League: Inter defy Barcelona with a spectacular draw

An attacking spectacle, dream goals, but no winner: FC Barcelona and coach Hansi Flick missed a good starting position in the fight for the final in Munich in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal. In the wild 3-3 (2-2) draw against Bayern Munich's conquerors Inter Milan, the Catalans showed some morale after a disastrous start, but their treble dream is still in jeopardy.

Marcus Thuram shocked the favorites after just 30 seconds, and Denzel Dumfries even doubled the Italians' lead with another stunning goal (21'). Prodigy Lamine Yamal brought the favorites back with a solo effort (24'), and Ferrán Torres equalized (38'). Inter again took the lead in the second half through Dumfries (64'), before Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer sealed the tie with an own goal after Raphinha's long-range shot (65').

"It was tough, a good football game. We knew we had to defend well, but we also knew we would get our chances," said Sommer. "Away in Barcelona, ​​we'll take the draw. We'll get our chances."

The return leg will take place on May 6 at San Siro. "This is an absolute final. I'm looking forward to it," said the Swiss. The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal (first leg 1-0) in the final on May 31 at the Allianz Arena.

At the old Olympic Stadium on Montjuic, Flick fielded the same starting eleven that had won the Spanish Cup in the heated Clásico against Real Madrid (3-2 after extra time) the weekend. There was a brief scare during the warm-up: Yamal grabbed his thigh and was sent to the dressing room early, but was able to start. Wojciech Szczesny was back in goal for Barça, while the recovered captain Marc-André ter Stegen was not in the squad.

From the stands, the German national goalkeeper, alongside the injured Robert Lewandowski, witnessed his team's horrific start. Former Gladbach player Thuram superbly backheeled a low cross from Dumfries into the far corner. It was the fastest goal in a Champions League semifinal—and the Nerazzurri's first after three consecutive defeats following the quarterfinal second leg against Bayern on April 16.

The Spanish league leaders, who suffered their only defeat in 2025 in a 3-1 loss at Dortmund, shook themselves off briefly but then took control of the game. Lewandowski's stand-in, Torres, narrowly missed twice (12th and 19th minutes), while at the other end, Dumfries caused Italian ecstasy with a powerful scissor-kick.

Flick stood stunned on the sidelines after the 0-2 defeat, but then saw the great Yamal show: First, the 17-year-old danced around half of Milan's defense in his 100th competitive game, then he scored the equalizer with a skillful shot - and in doing so, overtook Kylian Mbappé as the youngest goalscorer in a Champions League semi-final.

Just a minute later, Yamal was denied by the outstanding Sommer, who deflected his shot from a tight angle onto the crossbar. The Swiss international goalkeeper made another strong save from Dani Olmo (36'), but was left without a chance when Pedri, Raphinha, and Torres combined to equalize.

Inter's captain Lautaro Martínez remained injured in the dressing room after the intense first half, and Flick also had to take off Jules Koundé (42') and Ronald Araújo at half-time.

The second half began somewhat quieter – until Dumfries struck again following a corner, this time with a header. But Barça again had the perfect response, with Raphinha's long-range shot first hitting the crossbar, then swatting in off Sommer's back. In the 87th minute, Yamal's effort also hit the crossbar.

RND/SID