Barcelona, May 1, 2025 – In a thrilling UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg, Barcelona staged a dramatic comeback to secure a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night.
The pulsating encounter left fans of both Barcelona and Milan eagerly awaiting the decisive return leg on May 6.
The match got off to a lightning-fast start, with Milan silencing the home crowd almost immediately. Marcus Thuram scored in the very first minute, giving Milan the lead with a smart flick past the keeper. Things worsened for Barcelona in the 21st minute when Denzel Dumfries executed a brilliant overhead kick to double the Italian side’s advantage.
Despite the early blows, Barcelona refused to fold. Star youngster Yamal, who had given fans a scare during the warm-up with what looked like a muscle strain, stepped up with a stunning goal in the 24th minute. Cutting in from the right, he curled a left-footed shot into the far corner, reigniting Barcelona’s hopes.
Just minutes later, Yamal struck the post with another effort that left Milan’s left-back Federico Dimarco in disarray. The pressure paid off when Ferran Torres scored from close range in the 38th minute, leveling the score after Raphinha cleverly nodded Pedri’s cross across the face of goal.
However, both sides suffered setbacks, with Barcelona’s Jules Kounde and Milan’s Lautaro Martinez leaving the field injured before halftime. Changes followed, with Ronald Araujo coming in and Inigo Martinez shifting positions to bolster Barcelona’s defense.
Milan regained the lead in the 64th minute when Dumfries headed in from a corner. But luck turned against them as Raphinha’s powerful strike bounced off the crossbar and rebounded into the net off goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s back, making it 3-3.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan nearly gave Milan a fourth, but his goal was ruled offside. Dumfries later passed up a golden opportunity by choosing to assist rather than shoot, while Yamal struck the post again in the dying minutes.
With the tie evenly poised, all eyes now turn to Milan for the decisive second leg, where both teams will battle for a place in the Champions League final.