Barcelona and Inter Milan played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final, delivering a spectacle packed with goals, momentum swings, and standout individual moments at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Inter got off to a dream start, stunning the hosts just 30 seconds into the match. Denzel Dumfries whipped in a low cross that Marcus Thuram stylishly flicked past Wojciech Szczesny to open the scoring.
Inter doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Dumfries turned scorer, acrobatically volleying home after a deft flick-on from Francesco Acerbi.
Barcelona responded swiftly. Lamine Yamal danced past several defenders and curled in a brilliant strike off the post to halve the deficit. The teenager nearly struck again moments later, only to be denied by the crossbar.
The pressure paid off before halftime when Ferran Torres finished coolly from Raphinha’s cushioned header, leveling the tie.
Inter, forced to continue without the injured Lautaro Martinez in the second half, missed a golden chance when Federico Dimarco fired over from close range. But they regained the lead in the 63rd minute as Dumfries headed in from Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner.
Barca hit back immediately. Raphinha unleashed a powerful long-range shot that ricocheted off the bar and in off goalkeeper Yann Sommer to make it 3-3.
Both sides pushed for a winner, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan seeing his finish ruled out for offside and Yamal hitting the post once again. Ultimately, the high-octane clash ended level, setting up a tantalizing second leg at the San Siro.
