Six goals thriller, Yamal magic and Inter surprise

1-0, 3-0, and again 1-0. That’s how last three Inter Milan games in Italy finished. And the current Italian champion lost all three of them and didn’t produce a single goal. But tonight, against arguably the best team in Europe (alongside PSG), Nerrazurri scored three goals, took a 2-0 lead after just 20 minutes and had even the second lead of the game but finished the game with a 3-3 result. A great achievement considering that they played in Spain against the best attack in the Champions League and if somebody asked Inter fans if they would be happy with a draw, they would accept it gladly, but after all 90 minutes, everybody felt unhappy with the score. That’s because they had the lead twice, had two great opportunities and one disallowed goal due to offside.

Barca is in form, they are young and restless, and they defeated Real Madrid after 115 minutes in the Copa Del Rey, but Inter showed them that when they play their high-risk, high-defensive-line football against a good, experienced and well-coached team, there will be trouble. This was a fantastic and exciting game with six goals and almost as many chances and it was a joy to watch all those goals. What’s even better is that almost all goals were beauties, which added additional excitement. Those shots were produced by Dumfries, Thuram and Yamal. The young Spaniard had one of his nights to remember, and he did so with a groin injury which he picked up during warm-up but played with pain for the whole 90 minutes. Everything was dramatic in this game, even the injuries. Unlike Yamal, Kounde was injured and couldn’t continue, while Lautaro Martinez had to come out for Inter. As much as we enjoyed this game, we can hardly wait next Tuesday, when the rematch is on in Milan!

Some games are not so interesting during the whole 90 minutes as this one was in only the first 45. Last night, PSG scored in London after only four minutes, while tonight, Marcus Thuram needed less than a minute. Dumfries broke the offside line but his first cross was cleared. It was recycled out and delivered again into Thuram, who produced a fantastic flick into the far corner. Barca was stunned but attacked and had two unsuccessful penalty appeals before the home fans were shocked again. After Inter’s first beauty came the second one, 20 minutes later, and this time it was a fantastic Dumfries bicycle kick. And then semi-injured Yamal produced a magic of his own. First, he produced a stunner from 15 meters and then rattled the crossbar two minutes later. The next one was Olmo’s chance, which Sommer saved, but the Swiss keeper was helpless in the 38th minute when Raphinha fed Torres, who finished easily.

The second half didn’t start as explosively as the first one, but that soon changed. Dimarco had an opportunity in the 50th minute, but Inter’s full back was not precise as his shot went over the bar. But inspired Dumfries was not finished and scored a brace in the 63rd minute after a corner kick. Szczesny continued and then stopped, a worst possible decision for a keeper, while Dumfries jumped over Olmo and Inter was in the lead again. But after Yamal, it was time for some Raphinha magic. Just two minutes after Inter’s goal, the Brazilian sent a bomb from 30 meters, which hit the crossbar and then hit Sommer in the back, sending it to the net. But that was not the end. Barca fans couldn’t believe when Mkhitaryan scored the fourth goal 15 minutes from time, but luckily for them, the goal was ruled offside.