Marcus Thuram was a doubt for the starting 11 after missing Inter’s previous three matches — all losses without a goal. But the striker used the back of his heel to turn in a cross by Denzel Dumfries to stun the hosts just seconds after kickoff.
Dumfries scored his first of two goals with a bicycle kick to double Inter's lead in the 21st.
Lamine Yamal sparked Barcelona into action in the 24th when he dribbled past two defenders and sliced a shot in off the far post. He went close to an equalizer moments later after gliding down the endline and firing a shot with just a sliver off an angle off the crossbar.
Ferran Torres rammed in a headed pass by Raphinha to equalize for Barcelona in the 38th.
Inter suffered another blow when Lautaro Martínez had to be substituted at halftime, but Dumfries charged in to head home a corner kick to put Inter back ahead in the 63rd.
Raphinha needed two minutes to pull Barcelona level again when his blistering shot from outside the top of the box struck the crossbar, ricocheted off the back of goalkeeper Yann Sommer and found the net.
“Playing at home, we had the obligation to win,” Raphinha said. “But the result is not that bad and we will prepare for the second game so we come out on top.”
Barcelona is trying to reach its first final since 2015, when it collected its fifth title. In its first season under Hansi Flick, the Spanish club is also trying to repeat the treble of major trophies it won a decade ago.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter is aiming for its second final in three years, after losing to Manchester City in the trophy match in 2023.
The last time three-time winner Inter lifted the European Cup it beat Barcelona at the same stage in 2010.
The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31. PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in London on Tuesday in their first match.
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