Inter Milan book final spot after edging Barcelona in Champions League classic

Davide Frattesi hits decisive goal as Italians win 4-3 on the night and 7-6 on aggregate after thriller

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  Inter's head coach Simone Inzaghi, right, celebrates with defender Francesco Acerbi after victory over Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League. EPA

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  Inter Milan's Italian defender Francesco Acerbi celebrates after scoring his team's third goal. AFP

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  Inter Milan's coach Simone Inzaghi. EPA

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  FC Inter Milan's forward Lautaro Martinez, right, and coach Simone Inzaghi salute the fans. EPA

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  Barcelona's Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny comforts Gerard Martin. AFP

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  Barcelona's players are distraught after defeat. AFP

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  Inter's Davide Frattesi scores the winning goal to make it 4-3. EPA

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  Yann Sommer of Inter after saving from Lamine Yamal. Getty Images

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  Raphinha scores Barcelona's third goal. AFP

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  Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi concedes a penalty. Reuters

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  Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal. AP

Davide Frattesi fired Inter Milan into the Champions League final on Tuesday with an extra-time winner which gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate.

Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under heavy rain in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute after great play from Marcus Thuram, sending a rocking San Siro wild with joy.

Simone Inzaghi's team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, where they will feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after coming out on top in an epic contest.

Frattesi has become something of a super-sub for Inter and he struck late just as he did in the first leg of his team's quarter-final win over Bayern Munich.

"It's just incredible, I don't know what to say. I thought after the Bayern game I couldn't ever feel the same emotions, but tonight was even more incredible," said Frattesi to Sky Sport.

"This has been my career, really. I wasn't blessed with incredible talent, but I never give up and always believe and this is the reward for all my effort and dedication."

Tuesday's triumph saved Inter's season as their bid for the treble went up in smoke after getting past Bayern.

Inter conceded top spot in Serie A to Napoli, who are favourites to claim the domestic league title, while AC Milan dumped them out of the Italian Cup.

But Inter ended Barca's hopes for the quadruple and head into the final weeks of the season buoyant with a second Champions League final in three seasons to look forward to.

"We know that there are two really strong teams in the other semi. But you have to play to win any final," said Federico Dimarco.

Barca now have to try to maintain their four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on Sunday after missing out on a chance to claim every trophy available this season.

"The truth is we are sad. We wanted to get to the final, we were having a great Champions League campaign," said Ronald Araujo to Movistar.

"We were very close and it got away from us."

Frattesi settles roller coaster tie

Frattesi's winning goal, his seventh of the season and probably the most important of his career, was all the more incredible for the fact that Inter should by rights have already been eliminated.

The hosts were heading out with two minutes remaining of regular time when Raphinha completed a comeback from two goals down at half-time and gave Barca a 3-2 lead on the night.

But Francesco Acerbi stunned everyone in the stadium, not least the already-celebrating Barca supporters, when he forced home Denzel Dumfries' cross in the second minute of added time.

That goal came as a bolt from the blue as Barca had been by far the better team in the second half of normal time after going in at the break behind to a brilliant Lautaro Martinez goal and Hakan Calhanoglu's penalty in first half stoppage-time.

Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo pulled Barca level with goals in the 54th and 60th minutes, both from sumptuous Gerard Martin deliveries, and Yann Sommer had to be at his best to keep Inter within touching distance.

Sommer made possibly the save of the season between Barca's first two goals, somehow stopping Eric Garcia from finishing off a lightning Barca counter-attack.

And the Swiss ended up being crucial again in the 113th minute when he pulled off another miraculous save from Lamine Yamal, who hit the post just before Acerbi's equaliser.

Inter then held off Barca as the home fans held their breath before unleashing a mighty roar at the final whistle of the match of the season.

Yamal denied by imperious Sommer

In stoppage time at the end of the 90, when Yamal entered the area with the ball in front of him and only the goalkeeper to beat, the script seemed written.

The teenage sensation was being challenged by a defender, but looked in good position to find the net.

Instead of scoring the goal to take Barcelona to a first Champions League final in a decade, he fired his left-footed shot straight into the hands of Inter Milan goalkeeper Sommer.

The 17-year-old had another strong performance, creating chances and being a constant threat, but it wasn't enough to lead.

Yamal's missed opportunity at the end of regulation proved costly, leaving the score even at 3-3 before Inter Milan prevailed.

Yamal scored an amazing goal in the first leg in Barcelona, but couldn’t find the net this time to help Barcelona in the return match in San Siro.

Another left-footed effort in extra time looked promising but Sommer made an astonishing fingertip save.

“Which save will I remember?” said Sommer, named man of the match by Uefa. “The last one on Lamine Yamal. He is a great player and fortunately it didn’t go in. Many teams would have given up after going down 3-2 but we didn’t and managed to come back."