"I am proud of my players. Everyone gave their all."

FC Barcelona lost 4-3 to Inter Milan in the second leg of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League semifinals held at Stadio San Siro in Milan, Italy, on the 7th (Korean time).

After drawing 3-3 in the first leg at home, Barcelona scored three goals in the away second leg but conceded a late equalizer, resulting in a total score of 6-7, and their hopes for the final, which would have been their first in ten years since the 2014-2015 season, were pushed to the next opportunity.

Barcelona deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Ferran Torres was aiming to score, and Raphinha, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal were positioned as attacking midfielders. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong filled the midfield, while Gerard Piqué, Iñigo Martínez, Pau Cubarsí, and Eric García formed the back four. Wojciech Szczęsny wore the goalkeeper gloves.

Inter Milan lined up in a 3-5-2 formation. Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez formed the attacking duo, while Federico Dimarco, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Nicolò Barella, and Denzel Dumfries covered the midfield. Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi, and Jan Aurel Bisseck comprised the back three, with Jan Zommer in goal.

In the early stages of the game, Barcelona was somewhat on the back foot. In the 21st minute of the first half, Inter Milan seized an opportunity when De Jong lost the ball, scoring through Lautaro Martínez and going ahead 1-0. In the 43rd minute, Çalhanoğlu succeeded in converting a penalty awarded due to a foul by Cubarsí, extending the lead to 2-0.

Barcelona changed the momentum in the second half. In the 54th minute, a goal from Eric García brought them back to 1-2, and in the 60th minute, Dani Olmo headed in a cross from Martín to level the score at 2-2. In the 88th minute, Raphinha shook the net with a rebound shot, completing a dramatic turnaround at 3-2.

In the end, they bowed their heads. In stoppage time of the second half, they allowed a equalizer from Inter Milan’s defender Acerbi, resulting in a 3-3 scoreline and a total aggregate score of 6-6.

Entering extra time, Barcelona lost focus. In the 98th minute of the first half of extra time, they conceded the decisive goal to Inter Milan's Pratesi. Subsequently, they launched an all-out attack, bringing on Robert Lewandowski, Ferran López, and Pau Víctor, but they failed to score again due to Jan Zommer's successive saves.

Ultimately, Barcelona lost by a total score of 6-7, failing to advance to the final. They are currently maintaining their lead in La Liga this season, but in the European stage, they fell one step short. The "big ears" have again become a distant goal.

After the game, UEFA Champions League shared an interview with coach Hansi Flick through its official website.

Flick remarked, "I know everyone is disappointed right now, but we truly gave a lot in this game. Personally, I am proud of my players. Everyone gave their all. We will come back next year and strive for the UEFA Champions League title again."

He added, "Looking at the atmosphere of the game tonight, I feel the desire to return to this stage. We have to accept the result. Inter's forwards are strong and experienced. We are a young team and will continue to evolve. Our mission is to make this team better, and we can improve not just in defense but also in attack."

He also stated, "In the second half, we played much better as a team than in the first half. It’s a really painful defeat, but we need to get back up. This is the message I want to convey to my players. I believe our players deserved to reach the final. When they look in the mirror tonight, they can be proud of themselves."

Furthermore, Flick noted, "I want to congratulate Inter. They performed exceptionally well in both matches. I wish them luck in the final held in Munich."

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