Inter Milan got off to a flying start in Catalonia, scoring within 30 seconds. Marcus Thuram’s audacious flick from Denzel Dumfries’ delivery crept past Wojciech Szczesny and into the bottom corner, catching the hosts off guard.
Hansi Flick’s side responded eagerly, with Ferran Torres firing two efforts wide from inside the box.
However, those missed opportunities proved costly, as Inter doubled their lead in the 21st minute through Dumfries’ superb acrobatic strike.
Barcelona pulled one back shortly after, with Lamine Yamal curling a sublime effort into the far corner.
The teenage sensation continued to threaten Inter’s goal, coming close to scoring again just before halftime.
The Blaugrana eventually drew level when Raphinha’s headed pass found Torres, who coolly converted from close range.
In the second half, Inter’s set-piece prowess paid dividends once again, with Dumfries heading home from Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner.
Remarkably, Barça equalised again just two minutes later, with Raphinha’s stunning long-range strike crashing off the bar and against Yann Sommer.
Both teams continued to attack at will in pursuit of a late winner, but ultimately, a draw was the outcome, setting up a tantalising return leg at the Guiseppe Meazza next week.
