UCL| Frattesi's extra-time goal sends Inter Milan to finals

This fixture is easily the best UEFA Champions League knockout tie ever. It will have no competition when UEFA decides to rank their best semi-finals,

This fixture is easily the best UEFA Champions League knockout tie ever. It will have no competition when UEFA decides to rank their best semi-finals, quarter-finals or round 16 in the over three and half decades history of the competition.

This is what makes the world of football so exciting. The first leg wonderfully ended 3-3, but the second leg surpassed the drama, the roller coaster moments, the self-belief and the fighting spirit both teams showed in the 120 minutes.

Pedri was pressed by Di Marco, who released Dumfries all alone with the goalkeeper to beat with Lautaro on his left-hand side.

Dumfries set up the Argentine who had just an empty net to beat. He did justice to it and put the Italians ahead.

Cubarsi’s tackle on Lautaro was adjudged a penalty after a VAR review on the stroke of halftime. Turkish international Hakan Cahanoglu sent Szczesny to the right side where he slotted the ball to the left to make it 2-0 from the spot to put Inter Milan in a commanding 2-0 win at halftime.

Barcelona, as expected, came into the second half so strong, equalising through Eric Garcia’s volley and Olmo’s header. Inter was under immense pressure as they failed to find a solution to Barcelona’s intensity and determination.

With just two minutes to end the game, Raphinha scored to make it 3-2 for Barcelona. It was the first time Barcelona had taken control of the entire semi-finals against Inter. The Spaniards thought they had finished the business, but 37-year-old Acerbi was deployed as the main target man, and he was able to finish Dumfries’ cross to break Barcelona’s heart.

The 3-3 was an incredible scoreline for the neutrals but a bad moment for Barcelona because they failed to defend their lead with only three minutes of the extra 5 minutes.

In the extra time, 25-year-old Italian midfielder Davide Frattesi scored in the first half and it was the end of the contest as Barcelona could not bounce back.