Th 2024-25 UEFA Champions League final is set. Inter Milan vs Paris Saint-Germain, in their first competitive match. A rare UCL final without either a Spanish or an English team.
Inter came through a thrilling semi-final for the ages against Barcelona, featuring stoppage time equaliser, extra time winner and a team of players standing tall at San Siro when it mattered most. PSG had it relatively easier against Arsenal, who couldn't repeat their heroics against Real Madrid.
ESPN's By The Numbers brings you the best of the mid-week stats from the UCL:
Inter Milan 4-3 (7-6) Barcelona
3
Inter Milan advances to their third UCL final; they have won one. (the other two titles being European Cups.)
10
Barcelona has now gone 10 straight seasons without reaching the UCL final. This is the club's longest streak of participations with no finals.
13
Inter (7) v Barcelona (6) is the joint-highest scoring UCL semifinal, along with Liverpool's 7-6 win over Roma in 2017-18.
93
Francesco Acerbi's goal (92:42) is the latest result-changing goal for Inter Milan in UCL since 2012 when Giampaolo Pazzini won the game vs Marseille at 95:26.
37-86
At 37 years and 86 days, Acerbi is the second oldest scorer in UCL Knockout stage match after Ryan Giggs (37-148) in the 2011 semifinals vs Schalke.
10
Barcelona have conceded 10 goals in last 3 UCL matches. Compare that to 14 goaled allowed in previous 11 UCL matches this season.
43
At the same time, Barcelona scored 43 UCL goals this season, which is tied second for their most in a season in UEFA Champions League history.
7+
Yann Sommer had 7+ saves in each of the semifinal games vs Barcelona. His 14 saves across the two legs are the second most in a UCL semifinal in the last 15 seasons, only after Jan Oblak in 2016 vs Bayern (16).
15
Barcelona have conceded 15 straight penalty kick goals in UCL over the last six years. The last PK save by a Barcelona GK in UCL was ter Stegen vs Marco Reus (2019).
3
Lautaro Martínez scored his third goal in eight career games played vs Barcelona (all in UCL). In the last 7 UCL seasons, only 3 players have scored more goals vs Barcelona than him. (Mbappé, Guirassy, Muller)
Martínez is also the third Argentine international to scored 9+ goals in a UCL season after Lionel Messi (6 times) and Hernán Crespo; Messi is the only one to reach double-digits in a season.
5
Denzel Dumfries, with his 2 goals, 3 assists, is only the second player in the last 15 seasons with 5+ goal contributions in a single UCL semifinal (both legs), after Liverpool's Roberto Firmino in 2017-18 (also 2 goals, 3 assists).
21
Raphinha tied Cristiano Ronaldo's record for most goal contributions in a UCL season, set back in 2013-14.
13
Raphinha's 13 UCL goals tied Serhou Guirassy for most UCL goals this season. This is also the second most by a Barcelona player in a UCL season. The first, of course, is Lionel Messi's 14 in 2011-12.
14
Lamine Yamal had 14 successful take-ons today - that's the third most in a UCL KO Stage game in the last 15 seasons. Only Neymar (twice, in 2017 and 2020) had more in that span.
9, 5
Lamine Yamal's 9 shots were his second most in a game for Barcelona and the 5 shots on goal were his most in a game.
38
Lamine Yamal had 38 possessions lost, and 37 in the 1st leg vs Inter Milan. Prior to the semifinal, he had not lost more than 25 possessions in a UCL game this season.
2, 22
Gerard Martín became the first Barcelona player with 2 assists in a UCL semifinal game since Luis Suárez in 2015 vs Bayern.
At 22 years and 69 days, he also is the youngest player with 2 assists in a UCL semifinal match since Dele Alli (23 years, 27 days) for Tottenham in 2019.
Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 (3-1) Arsenal
12
Arsenal is winless in its last 12 UEFA Champions League KO Stage matches when it concedes first (0-1-11 W-D-L); its last such win was in Feb. 2011 vs Barcelona
31, 5
PSG is the team with the most shots off counterattacks (31) and tied second in counterattack goals (5) this season in UCL.
4
PSG beat all Premier League teams competing in the Uefa Champions League this season.
1
Fabián Ruiz scored his first goal in 46 career UCL appearances
2
David Raya saved his second penalty of the season (the other was against Atalanta on September 19).
2
Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter Milan would be the 2nd European Cup final between clubs from France and Italy; the other was the 1992-93 final won by Olympique Marseille over AC Milan (1-0)
PSG vs Inter Milan is also the second UCL final in the last 12 seasons to not feature a Spanish or English team.
2
Paris Saint-Germain seeks to join Marseille as the only French clubs to win the European Cup.
Information from ESPN's Global Sports Research contributed to this report.