The 36-team Uefa Champions League table didn’t lie. Three of the top four teams reached the semi-final stage, while an outlier – 15th placed Paris Saint-Germain – knocked out Liverpool, who had finished top.
On Tuesday, Luis Enrique led PSG to a 1-0 win at Arsenal, making the Parisian club favourites to reach the final as they hope to win a first ever Champions League.
A PSG v Barcelona final in Munich on May 31 holds appeal; Europe’s two most exciting teams of the season, flush with youth, meeting head-to-head. And it still might, but Internazionale present the biggest obstacle Barca have faced all season.
After racing into a 2-0 lead, Simone Inzaghi’s side drew 3-3 in Barcelona in a thrilling Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday. The comeback was made possible by Barca's Lamine Yamal, whose age is mentioned as much as his peerless ability and who got the Catalans back into the tie.
“I think Lamine Yamal is a talent born only once every 50 years,” said Inzaghi. “I haven’t seen a player like Lamine for eight or nine years. We had to put three markers on him and obviously that allowed Barca space in other areas. I was very impressed watching him live.”
“Lamine showed us the way,” said Barcelona’s German coach Hansi Flick. “In the big matches you see his quality.”
And how it was needed. Marcus Thuram’s first-minute back-heel gave the Italians the lead after build up from the imperious Nico Barella and Denzel Dumfries.
It was Dumfries who doubled the advantage with an acrobatic volley, stunning all but the 3,500 travelling fans in the 50,314 crowd for what is likely to be Barca’s final European home game at their temporary Olympic Stadium home. The Inter fans went crazy in celebration against the backdrop of a stunning sunset, but the game would be as open as the mostly uncovered stadium.
Don’t be surprised about Inter, who finished fourth of 36 in the group, holding Manchester City away, defeating Arsenal and Monaco, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys.
Simeone’s men then eliminated Feyenoord, followed by Bayern Munich in the knockout stage, travelling to Munich to stun the Bavarians with a first leg away triumph. Inter fear no foe, nor not having possession.
On Wednesday, the scoreboard frequently flashed up passing and possession stats. They were always 2:1 in Barcelona’s favour for passing and hovered around 65 per cent for possession.
It didn’t matter when Inter led by the same score after 24 minutes following Yamal’s goal. Playing his 100th Barcelona game by the age of 17 (Lionel Messi had to wait until he was 20), Yamal went past Thuram and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, using only his left foot before burying the ball by the far corner.
His bleached hair might look like a youthful decision, but urging calm from his teammates showed huge maturity. Yamal wasn't done, hitting the woodwork on 26 minutes, crossing perfectly moments later, and then, a Pedri ball, headed down by Raphinha saw Ferran Torres make it 2-2 from close range.
“We didn’t start well but we got right back into the match,” said Flick. “The second half was just spectacular.”
But Inter came out stronger for the second. A Dumfries header was assisted by Dani Olmo’s shoulder, but it gave them the lead. Soon after, a Raphinha shot from 25 yards hit the crossbar, then Yann Sommer’s back and went in a minute later for his 13th Champions League goal of the season: 3-3 and a game for the ages.
Barcelona pushed for a winner, Yamal hit the frame of the goal again but Inter held on.
Inter don’t have poster boys, the big names, they play a 3-5-2 using the experience of many of their players in their 30s, and yet they are effective.
Mkhitaryan, 36, and Matteo Darmian, 35, are Manchester United cast-offs. Central defender Francesco Acerbi, who prayed for a minute before the second half kicked off, is 37.
Goalkeeper Sommer is 36 and still hot. At least the heat map was hottest around Sommer’s goal. Iranian Mehdi Taremi, the first of five substitutes, is another veteran. He was praised by Simeone for improving Inter. Marko Arnautovic, who didn’t get off the bench, is 36.
Inter had lost their two previous Serie A games and with it top spot to Napoli as the season nears an end. But they are far from finished.
“We’re happy because we played a great game against the best team in the world at the moment,” said Inzaghi. “But there is still some regret for the 2-0 lead, and a disallowed goal (for offside), which I still don’t understand. We’re looking forward to the return leg. It will be like a final.”
“What will make the difference in the return leg?” asked Mkhitaryan of next week’s San Siro game. “Winning the match.”
