Barcelona and Inter Milan locked horns last night in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. The intense match ended in a 3-3 draw at Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys.
Inter Milan took the lead in the very first minute of the clash, with Marcus Thuram’s goal with an assist by Denzel Dumfries. The Dutchman then doubled the lead for the visitors in the 21st minute from a headed pass by Francesco Acerbi.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 24th minute, followed by Ferran Torres netting the equalizer in the 38th minute from an assist by Raphinha.
Dumfries found the back of the net again with a header after being set up by Hakan Calhanoglu in the 63rd minute. However, Inter Milan’s lead did not last long as Barcelona pressed right away with Raphinha’s strike first hitting the crossbar, then opposition goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s head, leading to a goal in the 65th minute.
While there were impressive displays from both sides, Yamal’s efforts on the pitch shone as one of the brightest. Along with scoring a goal, the 17-year-old was involved in two key passes and had two shots on target against the Nerazzurri.
As his performance continues to be praised, Pep Guardiola was asked for his opinion on Yamal ahead of Man City’s Premier League clash against Wolves on Friday, at Etihad Stadium.
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What did Pep Guardiola say?
During his pre-match press conference, reporters asked Guardiola to share his thoughts on Yamal’s display last night. Rather than commenting on the young talent, the Catalan manager, who was in charge of Barca’s A team from 2008 to 2012, gave an overall review of the match (comments via BBC Sport).
“I was surprised how nice the game was. Thanks to these type of games, the stadiums will never, ever be empty and our business will grow. I can be grateful for the two semi-finals because both were unbelievable, especially Wednesday’s game,” he said.
“When you play like Barcelona play, the stadiums will never be empty and we can live in that business for a long time. It doesn’t matter about results but how proud the people who love Barcelona we are,” added Guardiola.
Guardiola recalled Man City’s first-ever Champions League win in 2022-23, where they defeated Inter Milan in the final, and heaped praise on the Italian club’s head coach. The 54-year-old also expressed excitement for the upcoming two semi-final second legs next week.
“And Inter Milan proved again how when we won the Champions League against them – how incredible they are at defending in the transitions. Simone Inzaghi is an unbelievable manager. Next Tuesday and Wednesday will be incredible. They are a fantastic four teams and they deserve to be there.”
Barcelona will be making the trip to San Siro to face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final on May 6.
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