Inter's path to the 2024-25 Champions League final: How Nerazzurri reached their second final in three years
Simone Inzaghi's team are playing their second Champions League final in three years after losing to Manchester City in 2022-23

Inter will face PSG on May 31 for the 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Champions League final. While the French team is playing their second ever final of the competition after losing 1-0 in the 2020 edition to Bayern Munich, Inter are a much more experienced side historically. The Nerazzurri have already won the competition three times in their history, most recently in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, but also lost 1-0 in 2023 against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Simone Inzaghi's side have been consistently good this season in Europe and ended up in the top eight of the competitions inaugural league phase, with the new format introduced starting from the 2024-25 edition. Inter will now have another chance to win the Champions League, after what happened two years ago in Istanbul. Here's how they made it to the final:
How to watch the Champions League final, odds
- Date: Saturday, May 31 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Allianz Arena -- Munich, Germany
- TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Paris Saint-Germain +105; Draw +240; Inter +270
The league phase
Inter started off well in the league phase, as the new format replaced the traditional group stage with a single league table format involving 36 teams. All the teams involved are ranked in one table and each team plays eight matches against eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away. The Nerazzurri drew away in the first match of the season with a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City, in a rematch of the 2023 final. Two weeks later, the Italian giants hosted Crvena Zvezda at San Siro and won 4-0 with the goals scored by Hakan Calhanoglu, Marko Arnautovic, Lautaro Martinez and the final penalty of Mehdi Taremi.
On October 23 the Nerazzurri won 1-0 away with a late goal from French striker Marcus Thuram before winning 1-0 against at San Siro against Arsenal thanks to the penalty from Turkish midfielder Calhanoglu. The Italian side won again at their home stadium 1-0 against RB Leipzig before losing 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in their only defeat of the league phase. Inter won both the last two matches of the initial phase, the 1-0 away win against Sparta Prague with a goal from Argentinian striker Lautaro Martinez before closing the league phase at San Siro with a 3-0 win and hat trick from Lautaro. Inter ended up fourth in the league phase, and avoided the play-offs as they qualified directly for the Round of 16. Inter were the best defense of the league phase as they only conceded one goal, scored 11 and won six games out of eight.
The knockout stages
The Nerazzurri didn't have many problems knocking Feyenoord out of the tournament as Inter won 2-0 away in the first leg with goals from Lautaro and Thuram before winning the second leg as well in Milan 2-1 with goals from the same Thuram and Calhanoglu's penalty. In the quarterfinals, Inter faced and knocked out Bayern Munich with a 2-1 win at the Allianz Arena in the first leg, the same stadium where they will be back on May 31 to face PSG. Lautaro scored a stunning opening goal before Thomas Muller's equalizer, but then it was Italian midfielder Davide Frattesi who pulled out a sensational late goal in Munich. The second leg in Milan was a big night of soccer where the guests scored the opening goal with Harry Kane before Inter were able to overturn the result with two goals in three minutes scored by Lautaro and Benjamin Pavard. Despite Bayern's equalizer, Inter managed to knock out the team coached by Vincent Kompany.
However, the biggest tie of their run to the final was what also became what's probably the best matchup of the season.
Just when you thought Barcelona were heading to their first UCL Final since 2015...
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 7, 2025
Francesco Acerbi gets the late equalizer for Inter! 🤯
Inter 3-3 Barcelonapic.twitter.com/qi773t7GAR
The semifinals against Barcelona, produced the standout tie of Inter's campaign and arguably the season's finest match. The first leg at Estadio Lluis Companys ended in a 3-3 draw. Inter were immediately ahead with the goals from Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, but Barcelona responded before halftime with Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez. Dumfries restored Inter's lead, only for an own goal by Yann Sommer to keep Barcelona alive ahead of the second leg. The match in Milan was an instant classic. Inter were leading again 2-0 before halftime with goals from Lautaro and Calhanoglu. Barcelona made a comeback in the second half, leveling the score at 2-2 with the goals of Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo by the 60th minute. Raphinha then gave Barcelona a late lead in the 87th minute, but Francesco Acerbi's stoppage-time equalizer forced extra time in one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the sport. In the 99th minute, substitute Frattesi socred with a powerful strike to clinch a dramatic 4-3 victory.
Davide Frattesi finds the bottom corner & sends Inter to the UCL Final 🔥
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 7, 2025
Inter 4-3 Barcelona pic.twitter.com/tvo3JSsX1Z