Berlin, 7 May 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Inter Milan stayed alive at the death and then beat Barcelona 4-3 in extra time on Tuesday for a 7-6 aggregate triumph in a thrilling semi-final tie for the ages to reach the Champions League final for the second time in three seasons.

Francesco Acerbi levelled at 3-3 deep into stoppage time and substitute Davide Frattesi grabbed the winner in the 99th minute at San Siro for the Serie A champions.

Inter had led from 2-0 at half-time from Lautaro Martinez in the 21st and Hakan Calhanoglu's penalty in stoppage time.

But like in the first leg which ended 3-3 in Spain six days ago, Barca hit back from Eric Garcia in the 54th and Dani Olmo on the hour, and they thought they had won it from Raphinha in the 88th.

Barca were denied a fourth when Lamine Yamal hit the post before Inter sensationally came back themselves for a memorable triumph.

The 13 goals are the joint highest tally in a Champions league semi-final tie, previously achieved by Liverpool and Roma in 2018.

Inter delight and they want more

"A crazy match again. Seven goals today. It was incredible, we fought until the end, but very proud of the way we fought today. Overall, very happy that we're going to the final," Inter's Denzel Dumfries told Prime Video.

In the final on May 31 in Munich, where they recently played to a 2-2 with Bayern Munich en route to a 4-3 quarter-final triumph, Inter will face Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal. PSG take a 1-0 lead into their home leg on Wednesday.

Inter reached the final of Europe's top club event for a seventh time, having lifted the trophy in 1964, 1965 and 2010, while losing the deciders in 1967, 1972 and 2023 - the latter against Manchester City.

"We will do what we can - we just have one more step to go. We want to go there and win it. We will do all we can to ensure that we get Inter Milan to the high summit of European football," Martinez said.

Barca treble bid ends

Defeat meanwhile ended Barca's bid for a title treble, having won the Copa del Rey and ranked top in LaLiga where they face second placed Real Madrid in a potentially title deciding Clasico on the weekend.

"I'm very disappointed that we're out, but I'm not disappointed about the performance of my team. They tried everything," said Barca coach hansi Flick, who won the treble with Bayern in 2020.

"We're out, but next year we'll start again and we'll make our fans, the club and everyone around us happy."

Slow start before Inter go two up

Barca were without injured full back Jules Koundé who was replaced by Garcia, while striker Robert Lewandowski returned from a thigh muscle injury and came on shortly before extra time.

Inter captain and forward Martinez meanwhile recovered in tine from a thigh problem that forced him to limp out of the first leg as the hosts could field the same starting 11 as last week.

The match did not start with a bang as last week when Inter led after 32 seconds, with both sides rather cautious in the opening minutes.

Inter drew first blood again though when Federico Dimarco won the ball deep in Barca's half, fed Dumfries who squared for Martinez to tap home.

And it was 2-0 when Pau Cubarsi's tackle against Martinez was deemed a penalty upon review, and Calhanoglu converting into the bottom left corner with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny going the other way.

Deja vu as Barca fight back again

Barca however roared back after the break, starting in the 54th when Garcia spectacularly volleyed home a cross from Gerard Martin into the top left corner.

Garcia was denied by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the 57th but was 2-2 another three minutes on when another cross from Martin found Olmo to head the equalizer at the far right post.

Raphinha then seemed to have sealed victory for Barca in the 88th when he pounced on the rebound of his first effort saved by Sommer.

Inter refuse to bow and win it

But there was yet another twist in this epic tie. Yamal was denied clinching it for good for Barca by the post, and soon after Acerbi sent the Inter fans into a frenzy for 3-3 into the top corner.

And Inter then incredibly won it from Frattesi's shot into the bottom left corner after a one-two with Mehdi Taremi. Frattesi had also netted their late 2-1 winner against Bayern in the second leg.

Frattesi almost even got another in the 110th but Szczesny was on his guard, just as Sommer shortly after when he kept out a dangerous shot from Yamal on what was Barca's final chance.

"Many teams would have given up after going down 3-2 but we didn't, and managed to come back," Man of the Match Sommer told Sky Italia.

Photo: Screenshot