Lamine Yamal shines as Barcelona and Inter Milan draw 3-3 in Champions League semi-final classic

1 May 2025, 07:10

Lamine Yamal and Denzel Dumfries shared top billing as Barcelona and Inter Milan could not be separated following a spellbinding 3-3 draw at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Dumfries teed up Marcus Thuram for a flashy finish after 30 seconds – the fastest goal in a Champions League semi-final – then the Dutchman acrobatically doubled the Serie A champions’ lead.

Yamal got the LaLiga leaders back into it with a candidate for goal of the season on the 17-year-old’s 100th Barcelona appearance and Ferran Torres levelled from six yards to end a riveting first half.

Dumfries put Inter back ahead just after the hour but they were quickly pegged back as Raphinha’s shot from distance cannoned off the goalframe and struck Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer before going in.

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Henrikh Mkhitaryan had a goal disallowed for offside while Yamal struck the crossbar at the other end, leaving everything to play for in next Tuesday’s second leg at the San Siro.

A breathless first half started with Inter hitting the front almost straight from kick-off, with Thuram taking advantage of Inigo Martinez’s slip to audaciously backheel on the half-volley into the net.

Torres, deputising for the injured Robert Lewandowski, rifled wide as Barcelona tried to rally but Dumfries, who supplied the cross for Thuram’s jaw-dropping opener, scored a wonder goal of his own.

Federico Dimarco’s corner was headed towards goal by Francesco Acerbi and Dumfries reacted quickly by bicycle kicking high beyond Wojciech Szczesny in the 21st minute to leave the hosts shell-shocked.

Barcelona, who beat Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final at the weekend in a draining tie that went to extra-time, were in need of some inspiration and three minutes later Yamal provided it.

The teenager shrugged off Thuram on the right flank before gliding past Mkhitaryan into the box and curling a left-foot effort in off the post for a third jaw-dropper of the match – and probably the best.

Yamal might have had a second after another mesmerising run but his shot from near the byline had to be tipped on to the bar by Sommer.

But Barca levelled in the 38th minute when Pedri’s cross to the back post was followed by Raphinha cushioning a header back across goal and into the path of the onrushing Torres to tap in.

Lautaro Martinez pulled up on the stroke of half-time and the Inter captain was substituted on the resumption but the visitors took the lead once more as Dumfries bagged his second after 63 minutes.

It was a simple move as Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner to the back post was just too high for Yann Aurel Bisseck but Dumfries headed home after rising above Dani Olmo, who got the final touch.

Inter, though, were again pegged back, their lead lasting just one minute and 53 seconds as a corner was pulled back to Raphinha, whose 25-yard thunderbolt rattled the underside of the crossbar and went in via the unfortunate Sommer.

Mkhitaryan bundled in as Barcelona’s defending was exposed again but the Armenian was offside by the narrowest of margins while Yamal chipped off the bar and Sommer tipped over from another Raphinha pile driver as the tie finished all-square.