Inter punishes a Barça that has the sky to touch in Milan

Special Envoy to MilanBarça had heaven within reach of Milan, but just as they were edging towards their umpteenth comeback of the Hansi Flick era, their hopes were dashed by an Acerbi goal in added time that sent the match into cruel extra time. With two minutes left in the 90 minutes, it looked like Raphinha was about to work a miracle, overturning a 2-0 first-half deficit that, as in the first leg, was the result of individual errors. Inter, despite suffering heavily, made the most of their home advantage to eventually prevail in a tie (4-3) that, despite the outcome, once again makes Barça one of the most respected teams in Europe. The team, which fought until their last breath, ended up playing with a back three with Araujo, Gerard, and Héctor Fort. It will be a long time before they return to a Champions League final, but the journey to this point has filled Barcelona fans with a sense of hope that must now be translated against Real Madrid at Montjuïc.

In Milan, the team delivered a colossal performance at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, where the home fans shook the foundations and supported their team as if they were soldiers of the Roman Empire. The goal was to silence the Gaul represented by the more than 3,000 Barça fans who screamed and cheered for the dream of returning to a Champions League final. In a hostile environment, the challenge was enormous for a team full of youngsters led by Lamine Yamal, who flew on the pitch, but it wasn't enough.

Flick didn't invent anything and the starting lineup was the same as in the first leg with just one change: Eric for the injured Kounde. Although the Blaugrana started the game well and weren't intimidated by the atmosphere, Inter played a trick. The Italians are specialists in this. During the opening minutes, the home side made Barça believe they could dominate. It was all part of a plan: waiting back, passing the ball to the Blaugranas without hesitation, catching them when they approached the box, and finding the legs of Dumfries, Thuram, or Lautaro behind the center-backs. Szczęsny had to step forward to cover the latitudinal space behind the defenders.

Inter's plan was merely a trap that worked like a charm in the first half, aided by Marciniak's excessive permissiveness. After the first quarter of an hour, Ingazhi's men came out of their shell and attacked higher up the pitch. This forced Olmo to lose the ball, which they would not forgive. The Terrassa native fell asleep at the worst possible moment, allowing his wallet to be stolen, and with the defense completely compromised, Dumfries passed the ball to Lautaro to finish at will. The goal was a slap in the face, but Flick's Barça, whose heart never stops beating, would respond with character.

Pedri vehemently demanded a handball from Arcebi that neither Marciniak nor Van Boekel on the VAR, both usual suspects in controversial decisions against Barça, considered punishable. Earlier, an inaccurate Olmo took too long to finish a good counterattack, and Ferran headed a fine Eric cross too softly at the far post. Just before halftime, another counterattack punished Barça's self-confidence. Cubarsí had to go in for a tackle in a play in which Lautaro was already on target, and although Marciniak didn't award a penalty, VAR warned him: the Estanyol center-back snatched the ball away from him, but stepped on his foot. Çalhanoğlu didn't miss. The refereeing—and the Italians, who kept pestering Barça players at every opportunity—unnerved the Catalan side. Flick even sought out the Polish referee on his way to the dressing room tunnel at halftime to demand an explanation.

Fratessi dashes Barça's hopes

After the break, with Pedri trying to be everywhere, Barça tried their best with a sense of pride that explains why this team has regained its pride in Europe. The team managed to get close to the Italians' penalty area, but lacked the finishing touches on their crosses or the precision of their final passes against one of the best defensive teams on the continent. Until Gerard Martín, a dagger in the second half, met a first-time shot from Eric Garcia, giving wings to a team that can never give up for dead. The goal galvanized Barça, who, with the same protagonists on the counterattack, found Sommer's hands when he had the entire goal to finish after a great effort.

Gerard became a superhero, and with his crosses, Barça found the kryptonite to defuse the home defense. After Eric's missed chance, Olmo managed to make up for his mistake in the 1-0 lead by firing the equalizer into the back of the net. Equalizing the equalizer catapulted the Blaugranas towards a third. Lamine Yamal gave Sommer a run for his money, and with two minutes left, Raphinha completed the miracle. The winger from Rocafonda, with a shot off the post, would again score, but Inter still had a seventh life. Acerbi, in added time, would put a stop to the hopes of a Barça that already saw themselves in the final. In extra time, the battle continued with the cruel outcome, with Fratessi's goal after Thuram broke Araujo's waist. Time to raise our heads.