In a thrilling encounter from start to finish, the first leg of the Champions League semifinals between Barcelona and Inter at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw on Tuesday, leaving everything level heading into the return leg in Italy. Marcus Thuram quickly made his mark, returning to the starting lineup and scoring the fastest goal in UCL semifinal history just 30 seconds into the match. However, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal also showcased his undeniable talent, netting a superb solo goal on his 100th appearance for Barcelona. He nearly added a second, hitting the post late on, but Barcelona ultimately conceded to Inter`s effectiveness from set pieces.
Denzel Dumfries proved crucial for Inter, scoring two goals from corner kicks as the game turned into an open, end-to-end battle that captivated viewers. This sets the stage for an intense second leg in Milan. Before looking ahead, let`s review the individual performances of the players from both teams in this exciting first leg.
Here are the player ratings:
Barcelona Player Ratings
| Name | Minutes | How did they do | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wojciech Szczesny | 90 | Caught out on corner kicks, this was a match to forget for Barcelona`s goalkeeper. His performance will need to improve significantly for Barcelona to have a chance in Italy. | 5 |
| Gerard Martin | 45 | Substituted after the first half in a tactical decision. Like Jules Kounde, it was a difficult match for the full-back. | 5 |
| Inigo Martinez | 90 | Had a slightly better day than some fellow Barcelona defenders, but conceding three goals means the overall defensive performance was poor. | 6 |
| Pau Cubarsi | 83 | Similar to his center-back partner, Cubarsi didn`t have a stellar match, but Barcelona did manage to tighten things up defensively in the second half, which helped secure the draw. | 6 |
| Jules Kounde | 42 | Beaten badly for Marcus Thuram`s early goal and then picking up an injury, this was a match to forget for Kounde. | 5 |
| Frenkie de Jong | 90 | Created some opportunities and effectively circulated possession with Pedri. However, defense is a team effort, and most players not in attack share responsibility for the goals conceded. | 6 |
| Pedri | 83 | As usual, did a solid job of keeping Barcelona`s attack moving forward. While nothing spectacular, with strong offensive players around him, his simple, effective play was sufficient. | 6 |
| Dani Olmo | 68 | Unlucky not to score, Olmo found space when Inter`s defense focused too much on Barcelona`s wide players and kept Yann Sommer busy in goal. | 7 |
| Raphinha | 90 | With an assist and his goal resulting in an own goal after hitting the crossbar and deflecting off Sommer, it was another excellent performance from Raphinha. His form will be crucial for Barcelona`s chances in the next leg. | 8 |
| Ferran Torres | 90 | Leading the line in Robert Lewandowski`s absence, Torres found the net and did plenty to keep the attack flowing. He performed well in a vital position for Barcelona. | 8 |
| Lamine Yamal | 90 | It`s hard to believe he`s only 17. His runs, vision, and finishing ability are exceptional. Yamal`s brilliance was evident throughout the match, highlighted by his spectacular goal. | 9 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
| Eric Garcia | Jules Kounde | Nothing flashy, but Garcia was good on the ball and kept Barcelona moving forward after being unexpectedly called into action. | 6 |
| Ronald Araujo | Gerard Martin | Brought much-needed stability to the defense. His performance off the bench suggests Hansi Flick has selection decisions to make for the second leg. | 6 |
| Fermin Lopez | Dani Olmo | Helped keep the attack progressing and tested Sommer. A fine contribution from a substitute. | 6 |
| Andreas Christensen | Pau Cubarsi | Brought on for fresh legs as Hansi Flick didn`t want to risk Cubarsi, who was on a yellow card. | N/A |
| Gavi | Pedri | Came on late to help see out the game. Didn`t have much time to make a significant impact but helped maintain possession. | N/A |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | Rating |
| Hansi Flick | 5 | Barcelona could easily have collapsed after falling behind by two goals, but they showed great resilience to fight back and level the score. Set-piece defense needs attention, but overall, a solid performance considering the circumstances. | 6 |
Inter Player Ratings
| Name | Minutes | How did they do | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yann Sommer | 90 | While generally excellent in the UCL campaign, this was a difficult match for Sommer. Barcelona tested him frequently, and conceding three goals from an expected goals (xG) of 1.39 suggests some errors. The unfortunate own goal added to his tough night. | 4 |
| Alessandro Bastoni | 90 | Not his best game. He struggled in individual duels, which allowed Barcelona extra opportunities inside the box. Even if from low-percentage areas, Barcelona`s finishers make any chance dangerous. | 6 |
| Francesco Acerbi | 90 | Provided a defender-to-defender assist from a set piece and maintained good defensive positioning, clearing potential Barcelona chances. | 7 |
| Yann Bisseck | 90 | Filling in for Benjamin Pavard, Bisseck found it difficult to keep pace with Barcelona`s attackers. This is challenging for most defenders, but it was particularly highlighted by the open nature of the game. | 5 |
| Federico Dimarco | 56 | Returning from injury, Dimarco helped push Inter forward but expended significant energy trying to contain Yamal. | 5 |
| Henrikh Mkhitaryan | 90 | Unlucky not to score, which could have significantly changed the match. While not strong defensively, his creativity helped generate attacking plays. | 6 |
| Hakan Calhanoglu | 71 | Inter made excellent use of Calhanoglu`s superb set-piece delivery, which was crucial to their goals. They will hope he avoids a yellow card in the return leg. | 7 |
| Nicolo Barella | 90 | A quiet match by his standards. He couldn`t dictate the tempo in midfield, which was hard to do with Barcelona dominating possession. | 6 |
| Denzel Dumfries | 81 | Excellent performance both from set pieces and in open play. Two goals and an assist from a right-back is outstanding production. | 9 |
| Marcus Thuram | 81 | Scoring less than a minute in, Thuram immediately showed Inter what they had missed. His movement and ball control are top-notch, and Inter will need more from him in the second leg. | 8 |
| Lautaro Martinez | 45 | Didn`t get heavily involved in a first half featuring four goals before picking up a back injury at the break. A significant setback for Inter in this crucial fixture. | 5 |
| Substitutes | Replaced | How did they do? | Rating |
| Matteo Darmian | Denzel Dumfries | Came on for fresh legs late in the game and focused mostly on defending to prevent Barcelona from scoring again. | N/A |
| Carlos Augusto | Federico Dimarco | Created a couple of chances and was decent defensively, but dealing with Barcelona`s wingers is a tough assignment. | 6 |
| Davide Frattesi | Hakan Calhanoglu | Didn`t see much of the ball as Barcelona largely played keep-away towards the end of the match. | 6 |
| Piotr Zielinski | Marcus Thuram | Came on for fresh legs late in the game and focused mostly on defending to prevent Barcelona from scoring again. | N/A |
| Mehdi Taremi | Lautaro Martinez | Entered the match but barely touched the ball. Losing both Thuram and potentially him for the second leg is a major concern for Inter`s attack. | N/A |
| Manager | Subs used | How did the manager do? | Rating |
| Simone Inzaghi | 5 | Given injury concerns and playing away at Barcelona, scoring three goals is an excellent return, especially after being scoreless in their last three matches. However, conceding three also needs to be addressed. | 7 |
Dominic Ashworth