The two big teams had no easy task in trying to live up to last week's spectacular 3-3 encounter in Barcelona. But they managed to surpass it.
After 90 minutes plus extra time in a return that contained almost everything in football entertainment, it stood 3-3 on the scoreboard, 6-6 total in the semifinal, and extra time was waiting.
Barely ten minutes into the same, San Siro in Milan erupted in a joyous roar.
Davide Frattesi placed it 4-3 and sent Inter to the final in Munich on May 31.
There, the team has the chance to take its first Champions League title since 2010. In the final at Allianz Arena, either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal awaits. PSG has a 1-0 lead ahead of Wednesday's semifinal return in Paris.
Tough on Yamal
Before Frattesi's decisive goal, Inter and Barcelona had offered a swinging spectacle, where the first act belonged to the home team and captain Lautaro Martínez.
The Argentine rolled in 1-0, after formidable preparatory work from Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries. In the final minutes of the first half, it was the same Martínez who arranged a penalty, after being fouled by Barcelona's Pau Cubarsí.
It required video review to convince referee Szymon Marciniak, but when the penalty was to be taken, there was no doubt. Hakan Calhanoglu pulled in 2-0 with a hard shot along the ground.
In the first meeting, Barcelona's super talent Lamine Yamal was outstanding. On San Siro, Inter went harder at the 17-year-old, who didn't get out as much.
Equalizing on extra time
But Barça has others who can deliver. Like Eric García. In the 54th minute, he met a cross with a broadside volley and sent up the reduction in the far corner.
2-2 came just a few minutes later. Gerard Martin, who also played forward García, delivered a new razor-sharp cross that Dani Olmo headed in.
In the 88th minute, the turnaround was completed. Raphinha took himself forward to the left in the penalty area and Inter gave him one chance too many. The first shot, with the left, was saved by Yann Sommer. The second, with the right, was unstoppable.
3-2 and the final ticket secured?
Not then.
In the fourth minute of extra time, Denzel Dumfries played the ball to Francesco Acerbi and the 37-year-old steered in his first League goal in his career and took the match to extra time.
Where Davide Frattesi saved the blue-black crowd.
