Barcelona and Inter Milan offered an unforgettable display in the Champions League competition

Barça and Inter engage in a thrilling Champions League performance

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Hansi Flick watches in awe as FC Barcelona stumbles out of the gate in the Champions League semi-final initial leg against Inter Milan, setting the stage for a remarkable match.

Dramatic goals, lofty aspirations, yet no clear-cut victor: Barcelona and coach Hansi Flick left the pitch with a mixed bag of emotions, conceding a good opportunity in their quest for the final in Munich. The Barcelona-Bayern final dream appears tenuous after a poor start.

Marcus Thuram scored the first goal in just 30 seconds, while Denzel Dumfries doubled the Italian score at the 21-minute mark. Sound the twelfth man sensation, Lamine Yamal brought Barcelona back with a brilliant individual effort at the 24-minute mark. Ferrán Torres leveled the score once again at the 38-minute mark.

History-Making Goal

Even in the second half, Inter took the lead again thanks to Dumfries, but Yann Sommer, the Inter keeper, sealed the draw with an own goal after a distance effort from Raphinha at the 65-minute mark. The return leg is scheduled for May 6 in San Siro, with the final taking place on May 31 in the Allianz Arena. Either Paris Saint-Germain or FC Arsenal (first leg 1:0) await our heroes.

Tumultuous Opening

Flick trusted his successful lineup from the Spanish Cup final against Real Madrid (3:2 a.e.t.) to lead the charge. A minor scare occurred during the pre-match warm-up when Lamine Yamal needed to exit early for treatment, but he was able to take the field. Wojciech Szczesny was between the posts again for Barcelona, with the recovered Marc-André ter Stegen unavailable for selection.

Portraying a mirage of the German national team, Flick watched as his team faced a harrowing opening sequence, courtesy of an easy pass from Dumfries putting Thuram one-on-one against the goalkeeper for the first score. Barcelona momentarily recovered, only to be struck again by Dumfries' powerful side volley, sending the Italian fans into frenzy.

Barcelona Takes Control

Lewandowski replacement, Ferran Torres, came close twice in the early minutes, but Barcelona took control, putting relentless pressure on the Inter defense. Just one minute after the equalizer, Sommer produced a spectacular save to keep Inter level, denying Lamine Yamal a second score. The Swiss keeper displayed equally impressive stops against Dani Olmo (36') and Raphinha before the first half concluded, but was powerless to prevent Barcelona's dream combination involving Pedri, Raphinha, and Torres from equalizing.

Player Stats:

Barcelona: Szczesny - Koundé (42. García), Cubarsi (83. Christensen), I. Martínez, Martin (Araújo) - de Jong, Pedri (83. Gavi) - Olmo (67. López) - Yamal, Ferran Torres, Raphinha. - Coach: Flick
Inter Milan: Sommer - Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni - Dumfries (81. Darmian), Barella, Calhanoglu (71. Frattesi), Mkhitaryan, Dimarco (55. Augusto) - Thuram (81. Zieliński), L. Martinez (46. Taremi). - Coach: Inzaghi
Referee: Clément Turpin (France)
Goals: 0:1 Thuram (1.), 0:2 Dumfries (21.), 1:2 Yamal (24.), 2:2 Torres (38.), 2:3 Dumfries (64.), 3:3 Sommer (65., own goal)
Yellow card: Cubarsi - Calhanoglu
Attendance: 55,000 (capacity crowd)

Lamine Yamal delivered a mesmerizing exhibition, outmaneuvering a significant portion of Inter Milan's defense in his 100th competitive match and becoming the youngest scorer in a Champions League semi-final - a record that surpassed Kylian Mbappé's previous mark, scored at 18 years and 140 days old in 2017[1].

The Commission has also been consulted on the draft budget, as Hansi Flick, the coach, evaluates Barcelona's performance in the Champions League semi-final, following their match against Inter Milan.
In the midst of their pursuit of the Champions League title, Hansi Flick and FC Barcelona face a challenging journey, having been consulted on the draft budget, after their initial leg against Inter Milan left them with mixed emotions.
Despite conceding an early lead, Hansi Flick's FC Barcelona demonstrated resilience in their Champions League semi-final encounter with Inter Milan, earning a draw thanks to Raphinha's distance effort and an own goal by Inter keeper, Yann Sommer.
Hansi Flick's trusted lineup, reminiscent of the German national team, faced a tough opening sequence in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, resulting in two early goals by Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries.
In an attempt to secure their place in the Champions League final, Hansi Flick and FC Barcelona will need to overcome Inter Milan in the return leg, scheduled for May 6 in San Siro, amidst the ongoing consultation on the draft budget.