After 12 goals on two legs, Inter and Barcelona could not separate – which is more than what could be said for their respective backlines.
Not that anyone who complains about the prospect of an additional 30 -minute football here in San Siro. Barcelona was relieved to get there after a collapse in the first half. Inter, similarly, after a surrender in the second half.
For six days, the Italians highlighted and developed a formula to beat Lamine Yamal. Do this, they calculated and you beat Barcelona. In one way or another, they managed to force genius in the bottle and, at halftime, were 2-0 after the goals of Lautaro Martinez and a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty.
But keeping Yamal relatively silent – he was always very good – the hosts forgot his teammates. It is very good to have a defense for the right hook, but when the heavy goods vehicle has a left blow, a upper cut and a game of legs like the pickpockets of this city, you always descend.
The Spaniards responded to their first disastrous half and shed light on the fragiles of Inter to lead 3-2 by entering the stop time.
Then another torsion and another objective. With less than 90 seconds to play, Inter Defender Francesco Acerbi, playing like a makeshift attacker, hanging on the roof of the net at close range.
The San Siro broke out. In truth, the lava flowed, turned and turned for the best of two hours.
If there was a price for “best out”, the San Siro would take the garland for its pre-match invasion of your senses. The Hymn of the Champions League was relegated to a support track while a thunderous choir of 75,000 tenors has become a provocative pride opera.
There were shiny leaves for everyone and a sea of black and blue flags. This cathedral was not lit by candles, but the light rockets that have burned and flavored the night air. Suddenly, the concrete mass of San Siro did not seem so concrete after all, the stone under your feet trembling in anticipation of what was going to happen.
I was at the Emirates last week when Arsenal tried to intimidate Paris Saint-Germain by dropping a giant flag of a cannon of the roof of a stand. They got into the foot because it was fragile and without imagination. On the other hand, it was an inspiring welcome for Inter warriors, but, even more, it looked like a warning for Barcelona. It was a declaration – no thumbs of lawn would be granted without fighting.
Visitors, on the other hand, were ready to abandon several inches. Make these yards, in fact, and many of them, each behind their own defense. You could have placed one of Inter of Inter of Inter in the area between Wojciech Szczesny and its central back. Inter has put the ball there and repeatedly.
It was to the surprise of anyone inside the San Siro – the boss of Barça Hansi separates, perhaps – when Inter took the lead in the 22nd minute with a pass in said Canyon. Federico Dimarco set an ambush to Dani Olmo and did what he had undoubtedly asked him to do – played a simple ball thanks to the defense of Barcelona.
Denzel Dumfries, a scorer of two goals in the first step, ran clear and disinterested so that Martinez swept away in an empty net.
Has Barcelona changed punch? No and because of this, no more inter. Just before half-time, Henrik Mkhitaryan put on a pass for Martinez. He was about to pull the trigger when Pau Cubarsi seemed to unload the attacker’s pistol with a sliding challenge.
The game continued but Var intervened. The convalescent defender had taken the man before the ball. Calhanoglu converted for an advance of 2-0 deserved at halftime.
The best form of defense of Barcelona was not to defend yourself at all. They made the attack and, to come, were level. Not that Yamal was involved in both objectives.
The first, in the 54th minute, was a combination between their two full backs, Gerard Martin crosses for Eric Garcia in Volley in the lower corner. Now it was Inter of Inter to collapse and Barcelona was happy to sweep. They would have been in terms earlier if Yann Sommer had not produced a great backup to refuse Garcia a second of six meters. It was a stop to rank alongside Banks and the rest, flying through its objective of scratching the ball from the line. The relief did not last long, and Olmo started from the delivery of Martin 90 seconds later.
Inter looked like a team that needed full time and with half an hour to play. What they soon heard is the whistle for a
Barcelona penalty. Yamal was removed by Mkhitalyan and his fall took him well inside the area. The fault, however, was just outside and Var spilled the price.
Then, the end of madness. Raphinha thought he had won it by slamming at home two minutes of time. This is not the case, and we have taken overtime.
