Stunning Goals And Incredible Drama - Barca & Inter Deliver Match For The Ages

Every 1 successful a while, a lucifer comes on that will unrecorded successful nan representation agelong past nan last whistle.

A treat, a feast of football. That is what Barcelona and Inter Milan served up successful an enthralling 3-3 draw successful nan first limb of their Champions League semi-final.

"It was an astonishing conflict to watch, almost for illustration a boxing lucifer wherever opposing styles make nan fight," said erstwhile Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock.

"Barca and Inter were group up very differently, and it made for 1 heck of a game."

Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist said connected TNT Sport: "Tonight was conscionable special, typical to beryllium present to watch those 2 teams.

"We person been treated to immoderate unbelievable shot this evening."

Sensational goals, precocious play and unthinkable individual performances - it had everything. Here's really an engrossing evening of shot unfolded.

Much of nan talk successful nan build-up to this lucifer was astir Barcelona.

Their vulnerable precocious line, their expertise to people an abundance of goals pinch a prolific beforehand three, nan imaginable of different aureate procreation of players nurtured from their prestigious La Masia academy.

After 30 seconds of nan first limb astatine nan Nou Camp, that each changed.

Marcus Thuram's clever backheel decorativeness was nan fastest extremity to beryllium scored successful a Champions League semi-final and near nan location crowd stunned.

But against a broadside tin of scoring tons of goals, Inter knew 1 would not beryllium capable and nan 2nd came connected 21 minutes erstwhile Denzel Dumfries fired successful a singular overhead footwear to erstwhile again soundlessness nan location crowd.

That was not successful nan book for a Barcelona broadside trying to scope nan Champions League last for nan first clip successful 10 years.

"I deliberation everyone thought that erstwhile Inter went 2-0 up, that would beryllium it – they would unopen up shop, and we wouldn't spot overmuch different than different outstanding protect show by them," said Warnock.

Inter had conceded conscionable 5 goals successful this season's Champions League and pinch Barcelona's high-line strategies exposing their ain protect weaknesses, nan Serie A broadside were capable to return advantage.

For a fewer minutes, astatine least.

Trailing by 2 aft 21 minutes, Barcelona needed an contiguous spark.

Enter Lamine Yamal.

The teenager, making his 100th nine appearance, took conscionable 3 minutes to measurement up for his squad and conjure a infinitesimal of magic to get them backmost successful it.

Jinking into nan punishment container and leaving Henrikh Mkhitaryan successful his wake, Yamal struck a majestic left-footed decorativeness that ricocheted disconnected nan station and into nan nett to motorboat nan comeback.

'Get nan shot to Yamal' became a clear maneuver for Barcelona and watching him return power of nan game, pinging balls into nan area and perpetually making himself disposable successful guardant positions, it was easy to hide he is still conscionable 17 years old.

The equaliser came connected 38 minutes, erstwhile Ferran Torres stabbed successful from adjacent scope aft Raphinha nodded connected Pedri's diagonal cross.

Parity restored conscionable successful clip for nan break, nan anticipation was dense aft what had been a mesmerising opening 45 minutes.

Former Liverpool subordinate Steve McManaman, portion of nan TNT punditry team, said: "It had everything. It showed really frail Barcelona are defensively, but going guardant they are electric."

With fans and neutrals alike connected nan separator of their seats from this gripping encounter, expectations were precocious for an arsenic entertaining 2nd half.

After 3 stunning goals worthy of putting immoderate squad successful nan Champions League final, location was almost an aerial of disappointment erstwhile Inter's extremity to reconstruct their advantage came from a elemental area routine.

Dumfries roseate highest to meet Hakan Calhanoglu's area astatine nan backmost post, highlighting Barca's protect struggles.

"Inter are not nan astir move team, and they don't person overmuch earthy gait but location was still a measurement for them to wounded Barca, connected nan break aliases pinch set-pieces," said Warnock.

"They are nan oldest squad successful nan Champions League truthful location is simply a batch of acquisition location and they showed that coming pinch nan measurement they were clever capable to support opening Barca up."

At 30 years and 56 days, Inter named nan seventh oldest starting XI for a Champions League semi-final crippled and they utilized each of that acquisition to support cool heads successful a high-drama scenario.

"When you play astatine location for illustration we did, nan sensation is that we should person managed to gain a amended result," Barcelona guardant Raphinha told Movistar Plus.

"We can't concede that galore goals, particularly astatine home. Sure, you person to springiness praise to our opponents who are beardown and played good coming but we are Barca and it's our work to triumph astatine home, that's really it is."

Smarting from 3 consecutive defeats successful nan past 7 days, wherever they person dropped to 2nd successful Serie A and gone retired of nan Coppa Italia to metropolis rivals AC Milan, Inter were wished not to fto nan lead gaffe distant again.

"Barca were group up to onslaught and return nan crippled to Inter but their high-line near them susceptible astatine nan back," said Warnock.

"They are not going to alteration that measurement of playing - they haven't changed each play and they person done good doing it, truthful why would they?"

Conceding 3 goals astatine location and facing nan imaginable of travelling to nan San Siro pinch a one-goal deficit, sometimes each you request is personification to return a chance.

That is what Raphinha did erstwhile he picked up nan shot 25 yards retired and hammered nan shot into nan backmost of nan net, via a touch disconnected nan barroom and goalkeeper Yann Sommer's back.

Inter had held nan lead for each of 114 seconds earlier Raphinha's equaliser drew Barcelona level for nan 2nd clip successful nan game.

Yamal mightiness person been nan prima of nan show connected Wednesday but it is Raphinha who has dominated nan headlines for Barca passim this run and, though nan extremity has not been credited to nan Brazilian, his performances passim person proved pivotal to their success.

"I really admit what we did today," said Barcelona leader Hansi Flick.

"We played a awesome game, and of course, nan goals we conceded weren't pretty. You person to talk astir them, analyse them, but nan measurement we played, our style, our measurement of playing...it was fantastic."

Mkhitaryan thought he had recovered a 4th extremity erstwhile he poked location successful nan 75th infinitesimal only for nan video adjunct referee to norm it retired for an agonisingly tight offside.

But moreover without that, nan crippled was nan joint-highest people tie successful a Champions League semi-final crippled alongside a 3-3 tie betwixt Dynamo Kyiv and Bayern Munich successful nan first limb successful 1998-99.

It sets up a mouth-watering 2nd limb successful Milan adjacent week and, while Barca whitethorn beryllium disappointed to person conceded 3 goals astatine home, nan visitors will return assurance that they were capable to lucifer them connected an exhilarating nighttime of football.

"After 3 defeats successful a statement we saw nan existent Inter tonight," said Inter goalscorer Dumfries.

"We played pinch bosom and I'm proud. Obviously we wanted to triumph but I deliberation it was a bully capacity and it's still each to play for. Let's spot what happens astatine nan San Siro."

Watch highlights of each Champions League crippled from 22:00 connected Wednesday connected BBC iPlayer and nan BBC Sport website and app.

There will besides beryllium a Champions League Match of nan Day connected BBC One connected Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.