Simone Inzaghi hails Inter Milan for ‘two monstrous performances’ to reach final | OneFootball

Head coach Simone Inzaghi called it a “monstrous” performance and more than one Italian newspaper branded it “mythical” after Inter Milan’s stunning 4-3 extra-time Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona.

Dozens of Inter fans had headed for the San Siro exits after Raphinha put Barca 3-2 up in the 87th minute, and they would not be let back in once 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi levelled three minutes into time added on to force another half an hour of play.

That meant they missed Davide Frattesi curling in a 99th-minute winner that sealed a 7-6 aggregate victory and ultimately settled a classic of a last-four tie – the joint highest score in a semi matching Liverpool’s 7-6 win over Roma in 2017/18.

“First of all, we have to congratulate Barcelona,” Nerazzurri boss Inzaghi said.

“We faced a really strong team, and it took a super Inter side to win. The players delivered two monstrous performances to reach this final, and I’m very proud of them – they gave everything. With our heart, we overcame every obstacle.”

Frattesi – who also scored a late goal to see off Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals – celebrated his goal so vigorously, climbing the fences to try to reach the fans, he said he almost had to come off.

“I was fortunate to see out the game,” he told Sky Sports Italia.

“I was celebrating so much I was dizzy and nearly had a blackout!”

Frattesi was not the only hero for Inter. Yann Sommer made two critical saves against 17-year-old Barca forward Lamine Yamal, the first to prevent a winner soon after Acerbi’s equaliser, then again with a superb one-handed stop in the 113th minute.

“It was a special save,” Sommer said. “I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

Inter had taken a 2-0 half-time lead through Lautaro Martinez’s goal and Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty, but Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo brought Barca level before Raphinha hit what looked like a late winner, only for it to all change again.

Hansi Flick’s frustrations were obvious in a tense press conference with the Barca coach.

“We are all disappointed as we put so much into this game,” said the German, who was booked for his protests during the match.

“Some 50-50 decisions all went Inter’s way, but that’s how it goes. I am proud of the team. I think the result is unfair and that some of the referee’s decisions were very good but not in our favour.”

Midfielder Pedri went further in his criticism of Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, with Barca unhappy over Inter’s penalty.

“This isn’t the first time this has happened to us with this referee,” Pedri told reporters.