A night of footballing brilliance and heartbreak ended in controversy as Inter Milan edged Barcelona 4-3 at the San Siro – 7-6 on aggregate – to book their place in the UEFA Champions League final after one of the most thrilling semi-final ties in tournament history.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick was left devastated, not just by the narrow defeat, but by the refereeing decisions that he believes tipped the balance in Inter’s favor.
“Every 50/50 decision that the ref had, he called it in Inter’s favor. This makes me sad,” Flick said in a post-match press conference, referencing a string of contentious calls made by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak.
Marciniak awarded Inter a penalty in the first half after a VAR review ruled Pau Cubarsí fouled Lautaro Martínez – a decision Flick strongly contested. Adding to the drama, a potential Barcelona penalty was later reversed when VAR judged Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s foul on Lamine Yamal occurred just outside the area.
Despite the officiating frustrations, the two teams delivered a European classic. After a 3-3 draw in the first leg in Barcelona, Inter surged to a 2-0 lead in the first half of the return leg, putting them 5-3 up on aggregate. But Barcelona roared back, scoring three unanswered goals – the last from Raphinha in the 87th minute – to lead the tie for the first time at 6-5.
Veteran defender Francesco Acerbi then netted his first European goal at age 37 to level the aggregate at 6-6 and force extra time. Substitute Davide Frattesi emerged the hero, scoring the decisive goal to send over 70,000 fans at the San Siro into ecstasy.
It matched the record for the highest-scoring Champions League semi-final ever, equaling Liverpool’s 7-6 aggregate win over Roma in 2018.
Flick, trying to find perspective in the aftermath, praised his players’ resilience and style: “I’m proud of the team’s performance. They gave it their best… The fact is that this team has the respect of all Europe. We look in the mirror and we are proud of our efforts and the way we play.”
He also extended congratulations to Inter Milan: “Maybe I have been speaking about refereeing, but I want to say good luck to Inter. They did a great job. I wish them the best in Munich.”
Inter will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal – with PSG holding a 1-0 lead heading into Wednesday’s second leg – in the final.
For Barcelona, the dream ends in disappointment, but Hansi Flick remains focused on the future: “We’ll learn from this. It’s a learning progress. We’ll be back here next season.”
