Barcelona and Inter Milan have it all to play for after a thrilling and fascinating first leg clash ended in a 3-3 draw in Spain.
The visitors, tipped as underdogs ahead of kick off, shocked Hansi Flick’s men with barely a minute on the clock as Marcus Thuram backheeled the opening goal past Wojciech Szszesny to silence the crowd. Barcelona then found themselves near the brink of despair as Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead later in the first half.
Yet, the hosts turned up the tempo with thanks to an inspired Lamine Yamal. The teenager cut in from the right and scored a superb goal to bring the LaLiga leaders back into the match and Ferran Torres equalised just before the break.
A rapid and scintillating match continued after the restart with Dumfries heading in his second of the night, and Inter’s third, before a blistering strike from Raphinha brought the match level again and sets up the second leg perfectly.
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Barcelona vs Inter Milan LIVE
- Barcelona host Inter Milan in Champions League semi-final first leg | Live on TNT Sports
- 65' GOAL! Raphinha's strike secures another equaliser for hosts (BAR 3-3 INT)
- 63' GOAL! Dumfries heads Inter back into the lead (BAR 2-3 INT)
- 38' GOAL! Ferran Torres pings in the equalises (BAR 2-2 INT)
- 24' GOAL! Yamal's brilliance pulls a goal back for Barca (BAR 1-2 INT)
- 21' GOAL! Dumfries adds a second with overhead kick (BAR 0-2 INT)
- 1' GOAL! Thuram's backheel gives Inter perfect start (BAR 0-1 INT)
FC Barcelona 3 - 3 FC Internazionale Milano
Barcelona fightback leaves Champions League semi-final tie with Inter Milan on knife-edge
22:38
,
Mike Jones
Lamine Yamal and Denzel Dumfries shared top billing as Barcelona and Inter Milan could not be separated following a spellbinding 3-3 draw at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
Dumfries teed up Marcus Thuram for a flashy finish after 30 seconds – the fastest goal in a Champions League semi-final – then the Dutchman acrobatically doubled the Serie A champions’ lead.
Yamal got the LaLiga leaders back into it with a candidate for goal of the season on the 17-year-old’s 100th Barcelona appearance and Ferran Torres levelled from six yards to end a riveting first half.
Reaction from Massimo Ambrosini
22:28
,
Mike Jones
"Inter defended better than in the first half and didn't give up on attacking, taking advantage of set pieces.
“The Nerazzurri managed to limit Yamal in the second half. The result leaves everything in the balance; the second leg will be similar.
As things stand
22:24
,
Mike Jones
As things stand after the first legs Paris Saint-Germain are in the best position following their 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Barcelona and Inter Milan are locked in a beautiful draw at 3-3 and either side can make it through to the final.
'Probably relief'
22:20
,
Mike Jones
Steve McManaman was asked how Inter Milan will feel after that match and said:
“It is strange. Relief probably.
“Lautaro Martinez went off, they got a goal disallowed because of a toe nail.
“They will be feeling different emotions, but really they should be thrilled to bits.”
Reaction from Steve McManaman
22:16
,
Mike Jones
The former Real Madrid winger told TNT Sports: “It had everything.
“It showed how frail Barcelona are defensively, but going forward they are electric.”
FT Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
22:12
,
Mike Jones
100 up for Yamal
22:08
,
Mike Jones
Lamine Yamal has received a top with 100 on the back and his teammates gather for a picture.
He made his 100th appearance for Barcelona this evening.
Owen Hargreaves on Lamine Yamal
22:04
,
Mike Jones
The former Manchester United midfielder said: “Lamine Yamal is so special.
“Remarkable to watch him. He makes everything look so easy.
“The only way Inter Milan could stop him was with three to four defenders.”
Reaction from Ally McCoist
22:00
,
Mike Jones
The TNT Sports pundit said: "I love the new format and tonight was just special.
“It was special to be here and watch those two teams. We were treated to some unbelievable football this evening.
“It was a joy and a privilege to be here."
Full-time! Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:53
,
Mike Jones
90+3 mins: A fantastic match comes to a close with both teams locked in a high scoring draw.
Inter Milan twice went ahead and were reined back in by their hosts.
The stage is set perfectly for next week’s second leg when the Serie A side seek to get themselves into the Champions League final.
Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:50
,
Mike Jones
90 mins: Three minutes of added time to play at the end of this match.
Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:44
,
Mike Jones
84 mins: Andreas Christensen and Gavi are the latest substitutes brought in off the bench.
The Barcelona stars replace Pedri and Pau Cubarsi.
Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:43
,
Mike Jones
81 mins: Into the last 10 minutes now and Simone Inzaghi decides to make some defensive reinforcements.
Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries are off with Matteo Darmian and Piotr Zielinski are brought on.
Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:38
,
Mike Jones
78 mins: Raphinha drives a free kick through the Inter wall but can’t beat Yann Sommer who drops to the right and clings onto the ball.
Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:35
,
Mike Jones
75 mins: Disallowed!
Inter break quickly and send the ball out to Dumfries on the right wing.
He sweeps an early ball across the middle of the box and finds Henrik Mkhitaryan on the far side of the area.
He slots the ball home only for the offside flag to go up.
Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:32
,
Mike Jones
72 mins: There’s a touch under 20 minutes to play and Marcus Thuram has a couple of attempts to get in behind the high line of Barcelona.
Neither of them are successful.
Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
21:29
,
Mike Jones
69 mins: This match has been incredible. Inter Milan have never been allowed to get away from Barcelona.
The visitors have taken most of their best chances but Barcelona’s quality has been top class.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan (Yann Sommer OG, 65')
21:26
,
Mike Jones
Unreal!
Barcelona win a corner of their own and lace it across to Raphinha over by the edge of the box.
He runs onto it and strikes a worldie at goal.
Yann Sommer tips it onto the crossbar but the ball bounces forward, hits the goalkeeper on the back and rebounds into the back of the net.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-3 Inter Milan (Denzel Dumfries, 63')
21:24
,
Mike Jones
Inter lead again!
All the goals tonight have been strong, this one is too but it’s by far the simplest of the five.
A corner for Inter Milan is swung over to Denzel Dumfries. He leaps above Dani Olmo and scores as the ball ricochets off his shoulder.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:23
,
Mike Jones
62 mins: More than 15 minutes have been played in this second half, Inter look more stable, Barca are still dangerous.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:20
,
Mike Jones
60 mins: Dani Olmo has another effort but softly pokes his shot at goal where Yann Sommer scoops up the ball.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:16
,
Mike Jones
57 mins: Yamal gets the better of Bastoni as he drives into the area from the right.
He squares a pass but Acerbi is there to clear.
Federico Dimarco is hooked off now after a terrible time trying to deal with Yamal. Brazilian defender Carlos Augusto comes on to replace him.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:13
,
Mike Jones
54 mins: Two substitutions to note that happened at half-time.
Barcelona brought on Ronald Araujo for Gerard Martin and Inter Milan replaced the injured Lautaro Martinez with Mehdi Taremi.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:11
,
Mike Jones
51 mins: Szczesny comes a long way off his line to cut out a promising attack from Inter Milan.
He gets to the ball first and punts it long before the offside flag is raised.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:08
,
Mike Jones
48 mins: An early feee kick for Inter Milan is sent into the box towards Marcus Thuram but he can’t repeat his trickery from the first half.
At the other end of the pitch Yamal sends in a cross that Acerbi puts behind.
Inter then deal with the resultant corner.
Second half! Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:06
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona get the match restarted and already seem hungry for more goals.
Who will come out on top in this first leg?
HT Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
21:01
,
Mike Jones
Ally McCoist summed up the first half perfectly on TNT Sports. \
He said: “A joy to watch.”
More of the same in the second half please.
HT Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
20:57
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona have created 10 shots in that half with four of them on target. Two goals went in and they’ll be confident of more thanks to their possession.
In comparison, Inter have had three attempts but both of their shots on target have beaten Wojciech Szczesny.
HT Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
20:53
,
Mike Jones
Half-time! Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
20:49
,
Mike Jones
45+2 mins: And breathe.
There hasn’t been a moment to catch your breath during that first half. The whistle goes with the teams back on level terms after Inter Milan took a two-goal lead and Barcelona recovered from the deficit.
The hosts are massively on top now and they’ll want to press that advantage in the second half.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
20:47
,
Mike Jones
45 mins: Lautaro Martinez is hobbling around and looks like he needs to come off.
He’s probably going to try and make it to half-time.
Two minutes of added time to play.
Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan
20:44
,
Mike Jones
41 mins: This has been an incredible game and we’re not even at the halfway point.
Jules Kounde has gone off for Barcelona and Eric Garcia is one to replace the injured defender.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-2 Inter Milan (Ferran Torres, 38')
20:41
,
Mike Jones
Incredible!
Barcelona are on level terms after a beautifully worked goal. The ball is floated into the box and finds Raphinha.
He nods the ball into the six-yard area where Ferran Torres drops away from Francesco Acerbi and guides the ball into the back of the net.
Barcelona 1-2 Inter Milan
20:38
,
Mike Jones
36 mins: Bastoni gives the ball away and Raphinha fizzes the ball up to Ferran Torres.
He dribbles into the box and loses the ball which is prodded towards Dani Olmo.
Olmo shoots but Sommer drops to the right and pushes it wide.
Barcelona 1-2 Inter Milan
20:37
,
Mike Jones
33 mins: It’s quick and slick from Barcelona. Inter Milan will be overjoyed to get to the half-time break with their lead in tact.
Lautaro Martinez is a lone forward at the minute and is being tasked with getting to clearances out of the box.
Barcelona 1-2 Inter Milan
20:32
,
Mike Jones
30 mins: De Jong threads the ball to the feet of Olmo. He shifts out of a tackle from Acerbi and turns towards goal.
The defenders close him down but he manages to poke the ball at goal only to see Yann Sommer smother his effort.
Barcelona 1-2 Inter Milan
20:29
,
Mike Jones
27 mins: Yamal’s goal has given Barcelona increased belief that they can turn this score around.
It’s going to be an electric night now, there’ll be more goals before the end of this one.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-2 Inter Milan (Lamine Yamal, 24')
20:27
,
Mike Jones
Incredible!
Lamine Yamal receives the ball wide on the right wing and shrugs off a tackle as he turns towards goal.
He dances into the box, takes on another couple of defenders then curls a shot into the far post where the ball bounces into the back of the net.
Barcelona 0-2 Inter Milan
20:26
,
Mike Jones
23 mins: Hansi Flick looks up to the sky after that goal. Inter Milan have only had two real attempts and both have gone in.
That is ruthlessness at its finest.
GOAL! Barcelona 0-2 Inter Milan (Denzel Dumfries, 21')
20:24
,
Mike Jones
Another one!
A rare foray up the pitch wins Inter Milan a corner. Federico Dimarco whips the ball into the box and picks out Francesco Acerbi.
He nods the ball down and Denzel Dumfries is there to swipe an overhead kick into the back of the net!
Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan
20:22
,
Mike Jones
20 mins: Close!
Ferran Torres receives the ball on the left side of the box. He cuts to the right and slices a shot towards goal.
The ball swerves away from the far post and sails just wide of the upright but Barcelona are getting closer.
Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan
20:20
,
Mike Jones
18 mins: Dani Olmo looks the feed the ball to Raphinha through the smallest of gaps and, unsurprisingly, gives it back to Inter.
The visitors are really struggling to keep the ball in the middle of the pitch and can’t get out of their own half at present.
Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan
20:16
,
Mike Jones
15 mins: More pressure from Barcelona. A couple of shots from range go wide from the hosts as Inter Milan slowly force them away from the final third.
Barcelona are awarded a free kick which is taken by Raphinha. He whips the ball deep into the box but Yann Sommer is there to punch it away.
Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan
20:15
,
Mike Jones
12 mins: Alessandro Bastoni shrugs Lamine Yamal off the ball as the teenager looks to weave into the box.
He goes down and the Barcelona fans cheer for a penalty which doesn’t come.
Inter’s defenders won’t be overwhelmed tonight. They know what their job is and in Bastoni have a very experienced centre-back.
Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan
20:10
,
Mike Jones
9 mins: Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand are chatting away about the state of the pitch on TNT Sports.
They fear it has been overly watered meaning it’ll slow down the pace of the ball when it’s travelling and could hinder the pace of the Barcelona’s wingers.
Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan
20:09
,
Mike Jones
6 mins: Frenkie de Jong and Hakan Calhanoglou both challenge for an aerial ball in the middle of the Inter box.
De Jong goes down looking for a penalty but the referee lets play go on and Inter clear their lines.
Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan
20:07
,
Mike Jones
4 mins: Inter Milan haven’t seen the ball since they scored as Barcelona force them back.
The Serie A side have been strong at defending leads this year so the onus is on the hosts to equalise.
GOAL! Barcelona 0-1 Inter Milan (Marcus Thuram, 1')
20:05
,
Mike Jones
Wow! What a start this is.
Martinez flicks the ball on and sends it wide to Denzel Dumfries. His initial ball into the box is cleared by Jules Kounde but Inter recover it and slip it back to the full back.
He then crosses again and finds Marcus Thuram who backheels his first time effort and picks out the bottom corner!
Kick off! Barcelona 0-0 Inter Milan
20:02
,
Mike Jones
Inter Milan get the ball rolling and work it back into their own half. A long ball forward sees them burst up the pitch and Barcelona are on the back foot already...
Barcelona vs Inter Milan
19:59
,
Mike Jones
The players make their way out onto the pitch.
Barcelona are the big favourites to win the whole competition and they’ll be hoping to get off to a good start in this first leg.
Inter have a strong defensive record but can they keep the LaLiga leaders at bay?
Kick off is up next...
Will Yamal start?
19:53
,
Mike Jones
Lamine Yamal has limped away from the pitch during the warm ups and looks like a doubt for the game now.
There’s been no word on whether he will still start so as things stand he’ll be lining up for Barcelona.
Barella the one to watch?
19:50
,
Mike Jones
Inter’s Nicolò Barella has averaged more progressive passes per 90 (7.1) than any other player in the Champions League this season (min. 500 minutes played).
Similarly, he has the highest progressive pass percentage of any central midfielder in the competition this term (12% - also min. 500 minutes).
Barcelona's dynamic duo
19:45
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha have combined for more goals than any other duo in the Champions League this season (five – two Yamal assists, three Raphinha assists), while they’ve also created the most chances between one another of any teammate pairing (16 – eight each).
Martinez to emulate Cavani?
19:40
,
Mike Jones
Lautaro Martínez has scored in each of his last five appearances for Inter in the Champions League.
If he finds the net here, he’ll be just the second South American player to score in six consecutive outings in the competition, after Edinson Cavani (seven between November 2016 and October 2017).
Raphinha's rapid start
19:35
,
Mike Jones
Ahead of his 25th appearance, Barcelona’s Raphinha has been directly involved in 26 goals in the Champions League to date (15 goals, 11 assists in 24 appearances).
Only two players in the competition’s history have more goal contributions through their first 25 games: Erling Haaland (36) and Luis Suárez (28).
50 up for Inzaghi
19:30
,
Mike Jones
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is set to take charge of his 50th Champions League match, becoming the seventh Italian coach to reach this milestone; the most for any nation.
His 26 wins are already the most by an Italian manager through their first 50 Champions League matches (one ahead of Marcello Lippi, 25).
Attack versus defence
19:25
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona are averaging 3.1 goals per game under Hansi Flick in the Champions League; the second-most by a manager-club duo with 10+ games, after Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich (3.2).
Meanwhile, Inter could equal the record for most clean sheets by an Italian team in a Champions League campaign (currently on eight), held by AC Milan in 2004-05 and Juventus in 2016-17 (both 9).
Prolific scorers
19:20
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona haven’t lost any of their six home matches in the Champions League this season (W5 D1), while scoring 21 goals in the process.
Only in the 1999/2000 edition have they ever netted more at home in a single European Cup/Uefa Champions League campaign (29 in eight games).
Unbeaten Barcelona
19:15
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona are unbeaten in their six home games against Inter in the Champions League (W5 D1).
Those five home wins against them are their joint-most against an opponent in Champions League/European Cup (also five v AC Milan), while the only team they’ve hosted more often in the competition without losing is Chelsea (7).
A long time coming
19:10
,
Mike Jones
This will be just the second time Barcelona and Inter have met in the knockout stages of the European Cup/Uefa Champions League, with both coming precisely at the semi-final stage.
The previous one – played in 2009-10 – saw José Mourinho’s Inter eliminate the reigning champions 3-2 on aggregate (3-1 at the Giuseppe Meazza, 0-1 at the Camp Nou).
Barcelona's historic record
19:05
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona and Inter have faced each other on 16 previous occasions in Europe, with the Spanish side winning exactly half of those (W8 D5 L3).
They are winless in the most recent two, however, which came in the group stages of the 2022-23 Champions League (0-1 away, 3-3 at home).
How old-school Inter defied convention to punch above their weight in the Champions League
19:00
,
Richard Jolly
Expect to see the images of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, of Thiago Motta being sent off in the Nou Camp and Internazionale’s 10 men defending, playing without the ball, knocking out one of the greatest teams ever.
The 2010 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona remains seminal.
But not merely because of the stylistic contrasts or the meeting of the managers who were allies turned enemies and opposites.
Inter Milan line-up to face Barcelona
18:54
,
Mike Jones
Inter XI: Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglou, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
Barcelona line-up to face Inter Milan
18:52
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Martin; De Jong, Pedri; Olmo; Yamal, Torres, Raphinha
'It's not going to easy'
18:40
,
Mike Jones
Henrikh Mkhitaryan previewed tonight’s match saying: “It's not going to be easy, because they have a very young and talented squad, with a few very experienced players.
“It's going to be very interesting, because semi-finals and finals are always great to play and to watch, so we hope that we can play our best and play a great two games, first and second leg, and try to reach the final.”
Pedri on Hansi Flick
18:35
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona midfielder Pedri spoke about what it is like to play for Hansi Flick and how the manager has imposed his style on the team.
Pedri said: “It is a young squad and he is a father in the way that he always tries to look after us. He is there for you if you’re not playing. He always tries to help you and, asides from being strict – which he is and which you can see from outside – the side of him that you don’t see from outside is that he always tries to help you when you’re playing badly.
“It was hard to adapt [to the high line], especially when I was watching it from the outside during pre-season and they were implementing it.
“But from the very start, I think the team has done it really well and when it works, and you see that something is going well with the coach’s idea, I think it gives you much more confidence.”
Inzaghi on Barcelona
18:30
,
Mike Jones
Simone Inzaghi also explained how he thinks Barcelona will play tonight saying: "Barcelona are a team that have been built very well over time.
“They have everything needed to play a great game, and Hansi Flick is providing great organisation, just as he did with Bayern and Germany.
“We must also congratulate them for the work they do with the youth sector. These great talents are growing.
“Lamine Yamal is a unique talent in the world, he makes great individual plays but is also very useful to the team."
Simone Inzaghi says Inter aren't in 'difficult moment'
18:25
,
Mike Jones
The Inter coach was asked about his team’s recent run of defeats and said: "We are in the Champions League semi-finals, so I wouldn't call this a difficult moment.
“We are all excited, we are challenging one of the best teams in the world and one of the most offensive teams.
“We will have to suffer at times and will have to be technically perfect."
PSG’s 20-minute masterclass exposed Arsenal’s fatal weakness
18:20
,
Miguel Delaney
The demand from Mikel Arteta is now obvious, but the manner Arsenal get there is not.
He said his team need “something special” after this 1-0 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. There was then the same caveat as after Real Madrid. “It’s only half-time.” Luis Enrique went further, insisting this tie “has only started”.
That should make it even less of a surprise that both managers described this as a game “of different phases”.
'These things happen'
18:15
,
Mike Jones
Martinez also addressed Inter Milan’s recent run of defeats saying: "These things can happen, and we have done a very positive job except for the last week.
“We've lost three games in a row, which hasn't happened for a long time.
“This hurts but the team are fine and the group is strong, it is united. That is key."
Pre-match thoughts from Martinez
18:10
,
Mike Jones
Inter Milan forward, Lautaro Martinez, said: "We have great enthusiasm.
“In three years we have reached the semi-finals twice, and this hasn't happened to Inter for many years.
“We are doing a great job in the Champions League and we are trying to make our fans' dreams come true. We have a great desire to play the final once again."
How does Yamal deal with pressure?
18:05
,
Mike Jones
Barcelona’s star teenager was asked that question ahead of tonight’s match and replied: "I left that fear behind on the pitch a while ago.
“I wouldn't call it pressure. In an atmosphere like the one in the Copa del Rey final, with both sets of fans, you have to go out and enjoy it.
“I don't see pressure as anything, just enjoying the moment and giving it my all."
Arsenal are still confident they can beat PSG — let them explain why
18:00
,
Richard Jolly
Mikel Merino may have the enviable reputation of a man for the big occasion. His first goal for Arsenal came against Liverpool. He has a winner against Chelsea to his name.
There was a strike in a victory over Real Madrid which means that, of all the clubs he has faced in his career, he has scored the most against the serial Champions League winners.
He struck for Spain against the Netherlands this season and delivered a 119th-minute winner against the hosts Germany in a Euro 2024 quarter-final.
'Playing for Barca isn't something anyone can do'
17:52
,
Mike Jones
Lamine Yamal is juat 17-years-old and will make his 100th appearance for Barcelona if he plays against Inter tonight.
The teenager said: "At my age, few players have
