The UEFA Champions League has witnessed a number of thrilling encounters. Tuesday night’s semi-final second leg between Inter Milan and Barcelona certainly ranks amongst the best ever seen.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) compiled a list of some of the best games from recent years in the semi-finals of the competition.
I bring you my chosen three best ever, end-to-end, and nail-biting encounters of the most exciting club competition in football.
1. Inter Milan vs Barcelona (2025)
These two don’t often meet, but when they do, especially in the knockout phases, expect lots of fireworks.
Tuesday’s epic encounter would currently rank the best in the minds of every football fan. The game was a breathless and mind-boggling encounter, as both sides refused to back down.
Inter Milan ultimately got the better of the Catalonian giants after a 3-3 draw first leg draw. The clash continued at the Guiseppe Meazza when Barca came from two goals down to lead 3-2 late in the game, only for Francesco Acerbi to equalise late in the game before Davide Frattesi won it with a brilliant strike.
2. Liverpool vs Barcelona (2019)
Liverpool delivered a miraculous comeback against Barcelona, who now appears to fall victim to epic comebacks in the UEFA Champions
League.
Following a dominant Barca 3-0 win in the first leg at Camp Nou with Lionel Messi scoring a memorable free-kick.
Jurgen Klopp’s side pulled off a stunning 4-0 w
in at Anfield the following week to head to the final, and eventually beating Tottenham at the Wanda Metropolitano to win the title.
3. Barcelona vs Chelsea (2012)
The game every individual expected Chelsea to be walloped, thrashed, and battered by the mighty Barcelona after edging them 1-0 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Sergio Busquets tapped the home team into the lead before Andres Iniesta doubled the lead with a few minutes to the end of the first half.
Just when the worst was feared for Chelsea, Ramires scored an exquisite chip to half to bring them level on aggregate.
Lionel Messi’s second-half penalty miss proved crucial as the most expensive player in English football in 2012, Fernando Torres, came on from the bench to score and send Chelsea to the final, where they defeated Bayern Munich in Munich to win their first-ever Champions League trophy.
History has proven in these years that any team that manages to beat Barcelona in the semi-final of the competition goes on to become champions.
