Davide Frattesi propelled Inter Milan into the Champions League final on Tuesday night, scoring a sensational extra-time winner that sealed a breathtaking 4-3 victory over Barcelona — 7-6 on aggregate — in a rain-soaked thriller at San Siro.
The Italy midfielder struck in the 99th minute, capping an unforgettable night and sending the home crowd into raptures. His goal concluded a tie for the ages and secured Inter’s place in the final, where they will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain later this month in Munich.
Now dreaming of a fourth European crown, Simone Inzaghi’s side can take confidence from surviving one of the tournament’s most dramatic encounters.
Inter’s season, which looked at risk after exiting the Coppa Italia to AC Milan and losing ground to Napoli in the Serie A title race, was rescued in style. Having already eliminated Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, the Nerazzurri dealt a fatal blow to Barcelona’s hopes of an unprecedented quadruple.
It was Frattesi’s seventh goal of the campaign, and undoubtedly the most vital of his career, made even more remarkable by how close Inter had come to elimination.
Two minutes from the end of regulation, Raphinha’s strike had completed a stirring comeback for Barcelona, giving them a 3-2 lead on the night and a 6-6 tie on aggregate, which would have seen them progress on away goals.
But in the second minute of stoppage time, Francesco Acerbi stunned everyone — including a prematurely celebrating away end — by scrambling home Denzel Dumfries’ cross to force extra time.
The match had already swung wildly. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring with a superb finish, and Hakan Calhanoglu doubled Inter’s lead with a penalty just before halftime. But Barcelona came roaring back after the break. Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo each scored within six minutes of each other, both assisted by pinpoint Gerard Martin crosses.
Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer was vital throughout, pulling off an extraordinary save to deny Garcia during a blistering counter-attack, and later keeping out Lamine Yamal in the 113th minute — moments after Yamal had struck the post.
As the tension mounted, Inter withstood late pressure and clung to their lead, sparking an eruption of joy at the final whistle. It was a night to remember — a match-of-the-season contender — and Inter now stand one game away from European glory once again.
