Tres razones clave por las que el Barcelona perdió ante el Inter de Milán en la semifinal de la Liga de Campeones
Substitute Davide Frattesi was the unlikely hero after 210 minutes of breathtaking football as Internazionale magically triumphed over Barcelona 4-3 on the night and 7-6 on aggregate, progressing to the 2024-25 Champions League final for the second time in three years.
A chaotic night of football that saw an astonishing comeback from Barcelona, followed by them taking the lead only to lose it, and the match, in extra time, will surely live long in the memory of fans.
When Raphinha struck in the 87th minute, with two minutes left in regulation time, Barcelona’s social media echoed the “Never Die” mantra. But it was Inter Milan who truly embodied it, Acerbi equalized, and Frattesi sealed the winner moments later.
So, what went wrong for Barcelona in those final seconds that swung the tie in Inter’s favor?
High Line Gamble
Didier Drogba once said that Chelsea’s senior players won the Champions League by doing what was necessary, even if it meant ignoring the manager. Barcelona might have benefited from that mentality.
Their aggressive high line has produced 134 goals this season, but has also seen them concede 57, including 16 in their last seven games. After fighting back twice to take the lead, a more pragmatic approach might’ve seen them through. Instead, they pushed even higher, and paid the price.
That tactical gamble saw them concede seven goals across two legs against Inter Milan.
Substitution Blunder
Aside from criticizing Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, stand-in right-back Eric Garcia lamented the “cruelty” of football and suggested that with more experienced players, the outcome might have been different:
“Football has been very cruel to us… We all know what happened with this referee last time. They said it was a transition year, that we were very young, and in the end, look at all this.”
Before the trip to San Siro, 26-year-old Dani Olmo called himself a “veteran” guiding the younger players. Barcelona’s starting XI had an average age of 23.9 years, nearly seven years younger than Inter Milan’s 30.3.
Veteran defender Iñigo Martínez, 33, had led the backline admirably but was taken off in the 76th minute due to injury. Instead of replacing him with 29-year-old Andreas Christensen, manager Hansi Flick opted for attacker Robert Lewandowski, an attacking change that left the defense exposed.
Yan Sommer Heroics
UEFA’s Man of the Match, Yann Sommer, was instrumental in Inter’s triumph. The Swiss keeper made 14 saves across both legs, seven of them in the second leg alone, and repeatedly denied Lamine Yamal in critical moments.
Yamal fired nine shots, all on target, but none could beat Sommer. Despite Barca’s 70% possession, 22 total shots, and an xG of 2.74, Sommer’s brilliance, facing 3.95 xG on target, kept Inter in the game.
At 36, Sommer delivered a career-defining performance on the biggest stage, sending Inter to the final and breaking Barcelona’s hearts once more.
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