Milan’s Inter became the first finalist of the 2025 Champions League after defeating Barcelona in an incredibly dramatic semifinal. Both legs ended with a 3–3 draw, and in extra time at San Siro, Davide Frattesi scored the winning goal to give the Italians a final 4–3 win and 7–6 on aggregate.
The second leg was truly emotional. Inter led 2–0 after goals by Lautaro Martínez (21’) and Hakan Çalhanoğlu from the penalty spot (45+1’), but Barcelona quickly bounced back — Eric García and Dani Olmo scored to level the tie. In the 87th minute, Raphinha seemed to send the Catalans to the final, but in the third minute of stoppage time, Francesco Acerbi equalized to force extra time. The winning goal for the Nerazzurri came in the 99th minute, courtesy of Frattesi.
The real hero of the two-legged tie was Inter’s right-back Denzel Dumfries, who recorded 2 goals and 3 assists. Equally vital was goalkeeper Yann Sommer — the Swiss shot-stopper made several key saves during Barcelona’s dangerous attacks and was named UEFA’s Player of the Match.
Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan started the match and played 79 minutes before being substituted after receiving a yellow card. This is his second Champions League final with Inter and his fourth European final overall. He previously won the Europa League with Manchester United and the Conference League with Roma, but has yet to win the Champions League.
Inter’s opponent in the final will be the winner of the PSG vs. Arsenal matchup.
“What we witnessed tonight was something very, very special. Two teams went head-to-head and delivered an incredible football match. It was a joy to be here. Huge credit to Inter — they did it. Somehow they found a way back and reached the final. And they deserve to be there,” said Alan Shearer after the match.