Inter Milan Stuns Barcelona 4-3 in Extra Time to Reach Champions League Final Against PSG

When Inter Milan equalized in the 89th minute of their Champions League semifinal second leg, most fans had already turned off their TVs. They’d walked out. Some had even started heading home. Then came the roar — the kind that shakes the stones of San Siro. Francesco Acerbi, 37, center back, lifelong Inter loyalist, scored his first ever European goal — a header off a corner, barely three minutes after Barcelona had taken a 3-2 lead on the night and a 6-5 aggregate advantage. The stadium didn’t just come alive. It exploded. And then, in the 189th minute of the entire two-legged tie, Davide Frattesi buried the winner. Inter Milan didn’t just beat Barcelona. They broke their hearts. And with that, they booked their ticket to the UEFA Champions League Final 2025Fußball Arena München — against Paris Saint-Germain.

The Miracle at San Siro

It was the kind of match that lives in the bones of football fans. Twelve goals across 189 minutes. Five lead changes. A goalkeeper making saves that looked impossible. A defender scoring his first European goal at 37. A midfielder converting a 189th-minute winner — the latest decisive goal in Champions League history. Inter Milan had entered the second leg with a 3-3 draw from Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium at Montjuïc, where Denzel Dumfries had scored twice and Marcus Thuram had opened the scoring with a back-heel so cheeky it made the crowd gasp. But Barcelona responded. Raphinha equalized with a thunderbolt that ricocheted off the post and off Yann Sommer’s back into the net. A goal that shouldn’t have counted — but did.

On May 6, 2025, at San Siro, Barcelona came out firing. They were clinical. Efficient. Raphinha struck again in the 86th minute, curling a shot past Sommer to make it 3-2 on the night, 6-5 on aggregate. The fans in the Curva Nord stood. Some clapped. Others quietly left. The match was over — or so they thought.

Then, in the 89th minute, a corner. A flick. A header. Acerbi, the veteran, the forgotten man, the man who’d been told he was too old for this stage, rose above three defenders and buried it. The stadium didn’t just erupt — it inverted. People who’d already reached the parking lot turned around and ran back. Security guards blocked the aisles. Fans screamed through tears. "They weren’t allowed back in," reported CBS Sports’ Francesco Porzio. "But they didn’t care. They stood in the tunnels, screaming until the final whistle."

The Goalkeeper Who Held the Line

You can’t talk about this tie without talking about Yann Sommer. The 36-year-old Swiss international didn’t just make saves. He made statements. In the first leg, he denied Lewandowski with his feet. He palmed away a late Messi free kick — yes, Leo Messi, playing his final Champions League campaign before retiring — with his fingertips. In the second leg, he denied Gavi from point-blank range in the 78th minute, then saved a Raphinha penalty in extra time — the kind of save that makes goalkeepers legends. "He’s not just a keeper," said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi after the match. "He’s the heartbeat."

And yet, Sommer didn’t win the game. Frattesi did. The 25-year-old midfielder, who’d been on the bench for most of the season, came on in the 108th minute. He’d barely touched the ball when, in the 189th minute, he received a loose ball just outside the box. No time to think. No time to adjust. He let it fly. It curled. It dipped. It kissed the crossbar and dropped in. The stadium went silent for a split second. Then, chaos. The final whistle blew. Inter Milan had won 4-3 on the night. 7-6 on aggregate. They were going to Munich.

Why This Matters

This wasn’t just a comeback. It was a reckoning. Inter Milan hadn’t reached the Champions League final since 2010. Now, they’re back — for the second time in three years. They’ve beaten Barcelona in a tie that will be studied for decades. The 13 goals? The most in any Champions League semifinal since 2005. The aggregate score? The highest since 1999. And the emotional toll? Unmeasurable.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are left with questions. They dominated possession. They had more shots. They scored three goals in Milan. And yet, they lost. Their defense collapsed under pressure. Their captain, Pedri, was injured early in extra time. Their coach, Xavi Hernández, admitted after the match: "We played well. But we didn’t play smart. We didn’t close the game out. That’s on us."

What’s Next: Munich Showdown

UEFA Champions League Final 2025Fußball Arena München will be held on June 1, 2025. Inter Milan will face Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in the other semifinal. The stage is set for a clash of titans: Inter’s grit versus PSG’s firepower. Mbappé vs. Lautaro Martínez. Neymar’s ghost vs. Frattesi’s moment. A final between two clubs that have never won the Champions League in the 21st century. The last time Inter won it? 2010. The last time PSG won it? Never.

For Inter, this is redemption. For PSG, it’s destiny. And for football? It’s a reminder that no lead is safe. No game is over. Not until the final whistle.