*As Inter Milan Qualifies For Champions League Final
BARCELONA midfielder, Pedri, has reportedly urged UEFA to investigate the refereeing performance in Tuesday’s harrowing 4-3 Champions League semifinal defeat to Inter Milan at San Siro.
Raphinha’s 87th-minute winner looked to have set Barça on course for a first final since 2015, but a late equaliser from Francesco Acerbi, and Davide Frattesi’s extra-time strike earned Inter a remarkable 4-3 win on the night, 7-6 on aggregate.
He said: “It’s not the first time this happens to us with this referee. UEFA should look into it.
“Every 50-50 for them … There are things that I don’t understand and which are hard to explain.”
Asked what was difficult to understand, he explained: “In the penalty on Lamine (Yamal), which was after given as a free kick, there’s no booking for (Henrikh) Mkhitaryan, which would have been his second booking.”
Inter midfielder, Mkhitaryan, was cautioned for that challenge on Yamal, which was his first yellow card of the game.
Polish official, Szymon Marciniak, who refereed the World Cup final in 2022, was in charge of the match. He was also the referee when Barça and Inter drew 3-3 in the group stage of the Champions League in 2022, a result that effectively eliminated Barça.
Meanwhile, the VAR officials for the match were the Dutch duo, Pol Van Boekel and Dennis Higler, who were also on VAR duty when Barça last played at San Siro, also in 2022.
That match ended 1-0 in Inter’s favour, with Barça furious at the decision to rule out a Pedri goal for an Ansu Fati handball and not give a penalty when Denzel Dumfries handled.
Marciniak actually gave two of the major calls on Tuesday in Barça’s favour initially, not calling Pau Cubarsí’s challenge on Lautaro Martínez a penalty and giving Mkhitaryan’s foul on Yamal as a spot kick, only for VAR to intervene.
“I have come three times to Inter’s stadium and extraneous things always happen that don’t go our way.
“We all know what happened with these (referees) the last time we came here. It’s not an excuse, because we have conceded seven goals, but…” defender, Eric García, told Movistar.
It’s unclear which decisions Barça felt should have gone their way. At the time, they also appealed for a potential handball by Acerbi, claimed Gerard Martín was fouled in the build up to Inter’s late equaliser and complained the officials were too lenient with some of the treatment of Yamal.
“I think some decisions were 50-50, always for Inter, but it’s like that.
“We have to accept it, it’s football. We can be proud about our performance. Sometimes it’s like that, you feel a little bit unfair.
“Some decisions the referee made was maybe not on our side, but we have to accept it. We start again next season to win the Champions League. This is one of our goals.
“Maybe I have (said) too much about the referees, so I also want to congratulate Inter, they did a great job in both games, and good luck in the final,” coach Hansi Flick said at a news conference.
“I’m lucky to have finished the game. I screamed so much that I saw everything black.
“I have to thank the physiotherapists, because in recent days, I was not well. I dedicate the victory to them. It’s incredible, I don’t know what to say. Tonight, the incredible happened,” Frattesi told Sky Sport.
Barcelona, who were chasing a treble, after winning the Copa del Rey by beating Real Madrid in extra-time, will now have to focus on LaLiga, where on Sunday, they host their old rivals, who are in second place and trail them by four points.
“Football has been very cruel to us. We were down 2-0 again, and the character this team showed was remarkable.
“We are a team full of young players and this has been a great year. We still have the (Spanish) league to play for.”
Yamal, in a post on social media after the game, promised supporters Barça won’t stop until they win the Champions League, but added that all focus is now on Madrid’s visit on Sunday.
He stated: “We won’t stop until we put this club where it belongs: At the very top.
“I will keep my promise and bring (the Champions League) to Barcelona. We will not stop until we achieve it. We gave our all this year, but it wasn’t to be. But we will be back… have no doubt about that.
“Now, we have another final on Sunday and we need to all stick together.”
The the energy-sapping game, Inter Milan took their Champions League semifinal in record, equalling 7-6 aggregate score against Barcelona at San Siro.
The Italian club substitute, Davide Frattesi, struck an extra-time winner to send his side into the Champions League final, following a barnstorming 4-3 victory over Barcelona, after Francesco Acerbi had rescued them from the brink of elimination with a stunning equaliser deep in added time.
Frattesi’s goal and a string of stunning saves by goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, secured Inter a rip-roaring and record-equalling 7-6 aggregate victory in a semifinal for the ages, which finished with the Italian side reaching the Munich final.
They will later this month face either Paris St. Germain or Arsenal, who meet on Wednesday, May 7.
It was a tale of two halves, as Inter dominated the first 45 minutes and opened a two-goal lead, thanks to a Lautaro Martinez goal on the counter in the 21st minute, before Hakan Calhanoglu extended the lead with a penalty right before the break.
However, Barca woke up in the second half, with Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo netting within six minutes to level the scoring, and even though Sommer worked his magic to help keep the hosts alive, the Catalans thought they had scored the winner through Raphinha, who struck from close range in the 87th minute.
But as Inter made a desperate run for an equaliser, Denzel Dumfries found 37-year-old Acerbi inside the box, who fired a first-time effort into the net to score his first European goal in his 20th season and take the game to extra time.
In the 99th minute, Marcus Thuram made a brilliant run from the right and played the ball into the area for Frattesi, who set himself up before neatly guiding a curling shot into the bottom corner to send the delighted home fans into raptures.
Sommer made two world-class saves from teenager, Lamine Yamal, to secure the hard-fought win for Inter, who will bid to claim their fourth Champions League title and their first in 15 years, after losing to Manchester City in the final two years ago.
Barça must quickly turn the page on the defeat as they host Real Madrid on Sunday, May 11, with the chance to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the table over their Clásico rivals, with just three games to play.
