Barcelona and Inter draw 3-3 in Champions League semi-final

The first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Internazionale ended in a spectacular 3-3 draw on Wednesday night. Denzel Dumfries stole the spotlight with a standout performance, but Inter were unable to hold on for the win. The second leg, to be played in Milan six days later, will decide who advances to the final.

Early fireworks at Montjuïc

All eyes in Catalonia were on wonderkid Lamine Yamal, who made his 100th appearance for Barcelona despite being just 17 years old. He delivered with a fine solo goal midway through the first half, gliding into the box before curling the ball past Yann Sommer. But the home crowd’s celebration was muted—it was already 1-2 by that point. Inter came flying out of the blocks. Within 30 seconds, Marcus Thuram finished a brilliant backheel assist from Dumfries to open the scoring. Just minutes later, Dumfries himself added another with a spectacular overhead kick from a Federico Dimarco corner, giving Inter a stunning 0-2 lead.

Barça strike back

Barcelona, however, showed why they’re considered favourites to win it all this season. Pedri found Raphinha, who headed the ball into the path of Ferran Torres. The backup striker calmly slotted it past Sommer to level the score at 2-2 before half-time. In the second half, Barcelona controlled possession, but Inter remained dangerous on the break. After 62 minutes, Dumfries struck again, heading in his second of the night from a corner to put Inter back in front. But their lead lasted just over a minute—Raphinha fired a long-range strike that hit the bar, bounced off Sommer's back, and crossed the line to make it 3-3.

Late drama but no winner

Dumfries nearly added a second assist late on when Henrikh Mkhitaryan found the net, but VAR ruled the Armenian just offside. Moments later, Simone Inzaghi subbed off Dumfries to preserve energy for the second leg. Christensen returned from injury for Barcelona, making his first Champions League appearance of the season. Barcelona pressed hard in the final minutes. Yamal hit the bar with a brilliant effort, and Inter spent much of the closing stages defending deep. The thrilling encounter ended all square, setting up a decisive second leg in Milan with a Champions League final spot on the line.