This will be a match that lives long in the memory, for players and fans alike.
The unstoppable force of Barcelona, top scorers in this season’s Champions League, met the immovable object of Inter Milan, the tournament’s best defense. The result was spectacular.
Inter scored two early goals through Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfires to stun the Olímpic Lluís Companys stadium – Barcelona’s temporary home while the Camp Nou undergoes a makeover – into silence.
But Barça fought back before the end of the first half, led by the precocious Lamine Yamal, who was simply a delight to watch all night.
A wonderful solo effort from the 17-year-old Yamal halved the deficit, before Ferrán Torres drew Barcelona level before the interval.
The second half wasn’t quite as frenetic but Barcelona’s defensive frailties – in particular on set pieces – were on display again as Dumfries headed home from a corner to give Inter the lead for a second time.
But, again, it wasn’t enough. There was more than an element of misfortune for Inter in Barcelona’s equalizer, as Raphinha’s stunning effort hit the crossbar and then hit Yann Sommer’s back to go over the line.
The action didn’t end there, though.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan thought he had given Inter a 4-3 lead 15 minutes from the end, but the semi-automated offside system ruled him offside by the smallest margin imaginable. There couldn’t have been much more than a toenail in it.
The return leg takes place at Inter’s San Siro next Tuesday. We can’t wait.
