On April 30, the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final took place at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona between the local club Barcelona and Inter Milan. The teams produced one of the most thrilling matches of the season, finishing with a high-scoring draw — 3:3.
The match began with a shock: in just the 1st minute, Marcus Thuram opened the scoring with a spectacular backheel strike. In the 21st minute, Denzel Dumfries doubled the visitors' lead with a volleyed finish.
However, the Catalans quickly responded. In the 24th minute, Lamine Yamal pulled one back, and in the 38th, Ferran Torres equalized — 2:2 by halftime.
In the second half, Inter’s hero Dumfries struck again in the 64th minute, scoring his second goal after a corner kick. But the celebrations didn’t last long: just a minute later, Raphinha hit the crossbar with a powerful shot, and the ball rebounded off Yann Sommer’s back into the net — an own goal by the Swiss keeper made it 3:3.
In the 76th minute, the decisive moment almost came: Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who played all 90 minutes, found the net, but the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside.
The return leg will take place on May 6 in Milan and, judging by the intensity of the first game, promises to be a true football thriller.
Italian media ratings and opinions on Mkhitaryan’s performance against Barcelona