Lamine Yamal stole the show and Marcus Thuram made competition history as Barcelona and Inter Milan played out an utterly enthralling 3-3 draw in their Champions League semi-final first leg.
Raphinha added weight to his Ballon d’Or credentials as he eclipsed Lionel Messi’s record for most goal contributions in Europe’s elite club competition in a single season for Barca on a night when those inside Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys witnessed a breathtaking display of football.
Thuram, returning to the side after injury, scored the fastest goal in a Champions League last-four fixture when he found the net with a sublime back-heeled goal after just 30 seconds to give Inter the lead.
Denzel Dumfries then doubled the lead with an equally brilliant over-head kick shortly before Yamal showcased his fledgling talent on his 100th Barcelona appearance by scoring an exquisite solo effort to halve the deficit.
Feran Torres levelled the score before half-time but Simone Inzaghi’s side reclaimed the lead through Dumfries after the hour mark.
A Yann Sommer own goal from a fierce Raphinha strike brought the hosts level again but neither side could find a winner.
Champions League history is made
It took less than a minute for the deadlock to be broken. Inter worked the ball out wide to Dumfries who fired in a cross that Thuram diverted into the far corner courtesy of an exquisite half-volleyed back-heel.
It was a dream start for the visitors. The goal, coming after just 30 seconds, was the fastest in Champions League semi-final history.
WHAT A START FOR INTER 🤯
Marcus Thuram with an incredible flick to put Inter ahead in 30 seconds 🤩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Y2hAiF5Vlb
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2025
Nerazzurri had won all nine matches in which they had scored first in the Champions League this season. But the scores should perhaps have been level on 12-minutes when Yamal, who started the game despite appearing to limp out of the warm-up, found Torres on the edge of the box.
The Spaniard’s first touch, however, ultimately let him down and his subsequent shot fizzed wide.
The Barcelona forward then saw another effort drift the wrong side of the post before Dumfries shocked the hosts by doubling Inter’s advantage with another sublime finish.
From a corner, Francesco Acerbi’s header looped back towards goal and the marauding Dutch full-back slammed the ball home with a stunning over-head kick.
Barcelona prodigy puts on a show
The two-goal advantage, however, would last just three minutes, Yamal halving the deficit with a curling left-footed strike that nestled in off the far post.
The game was suddenly turning into an all-timer. Moments later, Yamal rattled the bar after bamboozling Federico Dimarco at the byline.
LAMINE YAMAL PULLS ONE BACK 🤩
Yamal glides through the Inter defence and hits a mesmerising finish on his 100th Barcelona game 🔥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/e1lFJA13y7
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2025
The electric 17-year-old looked to be in the mood. And it wasn’t long before Barca were level.
Pedri’s lofted pass was nodded across the box by Raphinha into the path of Torres who this time was on hand to supply the finish.
Raphinha’s assist – his 20th Champions League goal contribution this term – saw him eclipse Messi for most in a single season for the Catalan club.
Jules Kounde then had to be replaced through injury, bringing to a close a simply breathtaking first-half of football which saw the momentum of the match swing wildly between the two teams.
A tightly-contested second-half
After the restart, Inter looked to wrestle back the advantage and went close when Dimarco was found by Yann Bisseck’s low cross, but the Italy international blazed his shot well over.
With an hour gone, Inzaghi’s men did indeed reclaim the lead when Dumfries headed home his second of the match from Hakan Calhanoglu’s deep corner.
But again Barca hit back immediately, Raphinha rifling a shot from the edge of the box that clipped the underside of the bar before deflecting in off Sommer.
20 UCL GOAL CONTRIBUTIONS THIS SEASON 🤯
He takes the record from Lionel Messi for most in a season for Barcelona 😍 pic.twitter.com/Nzxks01Qk9
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2025
There was little doubt now that this contest would go down as one of the most exciting European nights in recent memory.
There were to be no further goals but Inter thought they had once again taken the lead through Henrikh Mkhitaryan. However, the goal was chalked off for offside after a VAR check.
Yamal then hit the crossbar again and Raphinha tested Sommer from distance late on with a strike that the Swiss goalkeeper was equal to.
And it proved to be the last action on what was a pulsating night of football.
All to play for at San Siro next week.
