Inter Milan Dazzle Barcelona In Thrilling UCL Semi-final First Leg.

 

Marcus Thuram celebrates with his teammates after doubling Inter Milan's lead against Barcelona in the Champions League Semifinal first leg 

Barcelona came from behind twice to force a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan as Denzel Dumfries scored twice for the Italians in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

The Spaniards have not been Inter since 2019/20 when they won back-to-back in the group stages. Since Inter lead in their head-to-head meetings, the odds are stacked against Barcelona.

Marcus Thuram set Inter ahead with a sensational back-heel flick. In the first minute, Denzel Dumfries received a ball from Kounde's clearance and delivered a cross into the box, which met Thuram in a good space for a tricky back-heel finish that beat Szczesny to the goal. Barcelona doubled the lead from Dumfries' acrobatic finish following a corner after Acerbi's header landed on his path

Lamine Yamal dazzled through Inter's defense, striking a delightful curly shot to the far right corner of the net. He struck again within minutes with an individual effort, but his effort clipped the far right of the goal to bounce out of touch. 

Barcelona leveled the scoresheet following Pedri's cross that rightly arrived for Raphinha's header, which Ferran Torres darted through the defense and pounced a shot home from inside the six-yard box.

Inter regained the lead in the second half with another goal from Dumfries, but it was short-lived by Raphimha's long-range finish following a corner, leveling the scores for Barcelona.  

Both clubs met in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in 2012/13, and Barcelona came out triumphant, denying Inter an appearance in the final on aggregate of 3-2. Barcelona have won eight times in their previous 17 meetings with Inter Milan. 

Overview

The Italians caught Barcelona off guard too early, but Yamal's brilliance brought the side back into the game. Barcelona slightly lost composure after falling behind by two goals, while the Italians were quick on the ball for a counter. Inter allowed their opponents to play too deep into their half and paid dearly for it with an equalizer. 

As Barcelona gradually rebuilt confidence after pulling back a goal from Yamal's effort, Inter became permeable and vulnerable to their opponents. Inter did not build resistance on the left flank, where pressure continually built up. Eventually, Pedri found a space in the box and delivered the cross that set off the equalizer. 

Though Inter were under pressure from Barcelona in the early stages of the second half since they dictated the possession, the Italians broke through the Spaniards' defense wall and forced pressure on their hosts. Barcelona remained a dangerous side to allow too much time on the ball, particularly too long around the 18-yard box.