The Giuseppe Meazza Stadium witnessed a Champions League semifinal that was marred by controversy. Just minutes before halftime, FC Barcelona found itself in a tough spot after a penalty that many deem unjust. Polish referee Szymon Marciniak decided to award a penalty for a foul by Pau Cubarsí on Lautaro Martínez after consulting the VAR, igniting protests from the Barcelona players.
The match started with Inter Milan taking the lead in the 21st minute, thanks to a blunder by Dani Olmo that allowed Marcus Thuram to assist Martínez, who made no mistake against Szczesny. Despite Barcelona dominating possession, the home team showed greater effectiveness in their attacks.
With the score at 1-0, tensions rose when, in the 44th minute, Lautaro entered the area and was brought down. Although the referee initially did not call a foul, the VAR intervened, and after reviewing the footage, he decided to award the penalty. Replays showed that Cubarsí touched the ball before making contact with the Argentine forward's foot, further fueling the controversy.
The penalty was taken by Hakan Çalhanoglu, who scored and made it 2-0. This goal left Barcelona with a mountain to climb in the second half, as they went into halftime with a significant disadvantage. The Catalan response was immediate, but a lack of precision and the referee's decisions left Hansi Flick's side with few clear options to turn the tide.
Additionally, Barcelona also suffered from a potential handball by Acerbi in the 25th minute that went unpunished, adding more fuel to the fire of controversy. The general feeling is that the Spanish team had to fight not only against Inter but also against refereeing decisions that seemed to favor the home side.
With this result, FC Barcelona faces an uncertain future in the competition, while Inter celebrates a step closer to the final. The Catalan fans hope that in the return leg, the team can demonstrate its true potential and reverse this adverse situation.