«Inter» eliminated «Barcelona» from the Champions League in a dramatic match, and Rafinha's record remained unbroken
In the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final, Milan's «Inter» team hosted «Barcelona» at home. The first match had also ended in an entertaining 3:3 draw. This time, the match turned into a real football festival for the fans, but extra time was needed to determine the winner.
The main part of the match ended in another evenly contested battle, finishing 3:3. In extra time, the Italians were luckier: «Inter»'s talented midfielder Davide Frattesi scored, leading his team to the final. The overall score was 4:3, and «Inter» continued to fight for victory in Europe's most prestigious club competition.
A strange and painful situation was observed for the Catalans in this match. One of «Barcelona»'s leading forwards, Brazilian Rafinha, despite achieving excellent results with his goals and assists, left the competition prematurely. The 28-year-old player was again his team's best player in this match, accumulating 21 points in the "goal+assist" system. In the current season of the Champions League, Rafinha scored 13 goals and provided 8 assists.
With this result, Rafinha matched the record of the famous Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo, known for his efficiency. It is worth noting that Ronaldo accumulated exactly 21 points ("goal+assist") while playing for Real Madrid in the 2013-2014 season. However, the Portuguese star achieved this result with 17 goals and 4 assists, while Rafinha balanced his goals and assists.
Unfortunately, due to «Barcelona»'s elimination from the competition, Rafinha missed the opportunity to break the record for the highest efficiency in the history of the UEFA Champions League. If the Catalans had reached the final, the Brazilian forward would have had at least one more match to break this record.
After the match, «Barcelona» head coach Hans-Dieter Flick praised his players' fighting spirit and resilience, explaining the reasons for the defeat:
“All our players played with all their might, and I am pleased with their efforts. But today we were just a bit unlucky. «Inter» was very reliable in both attack and defense. We could not field our optimal lineup due to injuries to key players. However, I believe we will make a strong comeback,” said the Catalan coach.
Now «Inter» is waiting for its opponent in the UEFA Champions League final. The Italians' results this season have garnered high praise from many experts and fans. In the final, they will once again take to the field to conquer the highest peak in European football.
Rafinha will have to wait for the next season to improve his record. It is certain that the Catalans will begin preparations once again to lead on the continental stage.
