MILAN (AP) — It is rare that a goalkeeper is named player of the match, even rarer when he has conceded three goals.
But Inter Milan’s Yann Sommer was given that honor following an astonishing 4-3 victory over Barcelona on Tuesday that sent the Italian team through to the Champions League final 7-6 on aggregate after extra time.
Sommer’s saves against Barcelona beggared belief in a rollercoaster match that at times went beyond insanity as it somehow managed to be even more drama packed than the 3-3 draw the previous week, with his team truly living up to its “pazza (mad) Inter” nickname.
There was his sensational reaction save on Eric García early in the second half, between Barcelona’s quickfire double that saw the visitors come back from two goals down, and a flying leap to fingertip a Lamine Yamal curler away from the top corner with the score at 2-2.
Sommer saved the best almost for last, however, when he again flew to fingertip another shot from the precocious Barcelona teen around his post. There were just seven minutes of extra time remaining at that point, with Inter leading 4-3, and his teammates celebrated as if they had scored again.
“I’m very happy. It was an amazing match, and the team has gone on an extraordinary journey,” Sommer said. “The toughest save was the last one, because Yamal is really strong and always comes inside to shoot.
“It was also maybe the most important one … because it gave us a little bit power, it gave us the confidence back for these last minutes.”
At the age of 36, Sommer is revelling in his time in the spotlight in perhaps his biggest moment since saving a Kylian Mbappé spotkick to help Switzerland beat France in a penalty shootout in the 2020 European Championship.
And he could even be in line for a much more prestigious acclaim, with Spanish sports newspaper Marca naming him as a strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or award as the world’s best soccer player.
“I could not be happier than now,” Sommer said. “We as a team and as well me, I worked hard for these kind of moments, for these situations, for these games, to be in a club like this.
“In the end I’m here with this beautiful team and we are in the Champions League final.”
It will be Inter’s second final in three years and, having almost defied the odds to get there, Simone Inzaghi’s team might very well be the favorite against either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31.
Two years ago nobody expected much against Manchester City but Inter only lost 1-0. This time even Inzaghi almost conceded Inter would be favored after eliminating not only Barcelona but Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
“We have grown since then,” he said. “These guys have been extraordinary, we have to continue.
“The final will be played against a really great team, whether it’s Arsenal or PSG. It will be difficult but after beating Barcelona and Bayern … well they’re probably the best teams in Europe at the moment.”
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