Barcelona and Inter Milan Serve Up a 3-3 Classic in UCL

Barcelona and Inter Milan played out an exhilarating 3-3 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Inter stunned the hosts within 30 seconds, with Marcus Thuram netting the fastest semi-final goal in UCL history.

The Dutch wing-back made it 2-0 in the 21st minute with a superb volley off a corner, exposing cracks in Barcelona’s defensive setup.

But 17-year-old Lamine Yamal sparked a comeback, curling in a stunning goal to halve the deficit in the 24th minute. His brilliance continued to shine as he struck the post before Ferran Torres equalized in the 38th minute after sustained pressure from the Catalans.

The second half delivered more drama. Dumfries struck again with a header in the 63rd minute to give Inter a 3-2 lead, but just two minutes later, a fierce long-range effort by Raphinha ricocheted off the bar and Inter keeper Yann Sommer to level the score again. Inter thought they had a winner through Mkhitaryan, but it was ruled offside. Sommer’s key saves late on kept the tie balanced.

While Barca’s unbeaten home record against Inter remains intact, injuries to key players like Kounde and doubts over Lewandowski and Balde cast a shadow ahead of the return leg. Inter will also miss Pavard and potentially Lautaro Martinez.