In a semi -final for the centuries it was ultimately one of the oldest player on the field.
Francesco Acerbi Tartte his veteran 37 years and center-back defensive instincts to change the dramatic 93rd minute equalizer of 93rd minutes and extra time against Barcelona.
Yes, Davide Frattesi took the winning goal to book the place of the Italian Giants in the final of the Champions League.
But Old-Timer Defender Acerbi's Superb Striker's finish embodied a Bonkers two-penny draw.
And that cute, near-post attempt to come and find Wojciech Szczenny's Bovenhoek for Ronald Araujo is perhaps his own personal crowning of a career that it all saw.
Acerbi, born in the suburbs of Milan, is now 90 minutes away from completing the circle by I Nerazzurri in European glory.
But his way to the San Siro – the location of this goal that will live in the memory of all inter -fans for a long time – is much longer than the 15 miles of the suburbs Vizzolo Predabissi.
And it has fighting on the field with the world's best strikers, but more importantly from the field, with cancer, depression and alcohol.
Journeyman -career
Acerbi started in series C in Pavia in 2006 and was even on display in the semi-professional series that is on loan at Renate.
A loan from the Spezia youth team followed before permanent spells at Reggina, Genoa and Chievo, where he eventually made his top-flight debut.
AC Milan came to call in 2012 and he was short teammates with people like Robinho and Mario Balotelli.
But after only six months struggling for minutes, he was sold to Genoa, who immediately led him back to Chievo.
Only when Acerbi signed for Sassuolo in 2013 that he finally had stability and had spent five seasons there for four in Lazio.
He initially joined Inter on loan in 2022-23, where he was reunited with ex-Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi and made the move permanently the next summer.
That transfer brought his count to 14 spells with ten different clubs.
Fran de Man
Acerbi scored a most important header against bitter rivals and former employers AC Milan in April 2024.
That helped his side to a 2-1 victory where they were confirmed as Serie A champions for the 20th time.
A year earlier, towards the end of his loan season, Acerbi came in for enormous praise for his performance in the Champions League final.
Inter was eventually beaten 1-0 by Manchester City, but the Italian middle half managed to keep Erling Haaland still and love the score sheet.
Health struggle
However, Acerbi's most difficult challenges have gone away from football.
His father died in Milan during his short period, which was activated the depression that led him to turn and even trusted alcohol to numb the pain and suffering.
When signing for Sassuolo in 2013 at the start of the following season, Acerbi was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
A regular health control on health control, unusual blood test results and he immediately underwent surgery to remove the tumor.
But after he returned to training and competitive action, he did not succeed in an anti-doping test.
Acerbi denied taking prohibited performance -enhancing medicines and it happened that the irregular hormone levels were because the cancer had returned.
As a result, the defender had two months of chemotherapy at the beginning of 2014.
But Acerbi actually credits the two attacks of cancer for 'saving' him from depression and alcholism.
He explained frankly to La Repubblica in 2019: “After my father died, when I played for Milan, I hit the bottom.
“It was as if I forgot how to play, or why I played. I started drinking and believe myself, I would drink everything.
“It may seem like a terrible paradox, but the cancer has saved me. I had something new to fight against, a limit to overcome.
“It was as if I had to start life again and saw the world in a way that I had completely forgotten. I stopped being scared.
'I thought to myself:' What are you going to do when it comes back? “I'll face it again,” I answered.
“Chemotherapy was when walking in a parallel world, the entrance that is closer than you might think, so you never leave it again. It is a world of pain and courage.
“I think having that disease improved me as a person, repent and regret.
“I became an observer of my environment. I eliminated the superfluous, the negative, but also the illusions. I stopped dreaming and started concentrating on simple goals.”
Euro Hero
Unbelievable, Acerbi made his senior international Italy debut in the same year that he underwent chemotherapy.
But in 2019 he still succeeded in adding two more performances – one in 2016, one in 2018 – before he was brought back into the fold by Roberto Mancini.
And while Acerbi will not fall as one of the great Italian defenders of all time, such as Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini et al, he received the top order of merit in Italy in Italy in Italy.
He founded the extra-time winner against Austria in the round of 16 and was then an unused sub in the quarters, half and final, on which the Azzurri beat England.
However, Acerbi has no longer added to its 34 caps since 2023 and in March 2024 pulled himself out of the team after accusations that he made racist comments at Napoli's Juan Jesus during a Serie A match earlier that month.
A Serie A -sports judge rejected the case with reference to a lack of evidence when Acerbi escaped punishment, a decision that descended Napoli 'amazingly'.
Barca -Drama
Acerbi achieved the headlines for the right reasons, but with his goal against Barcelona – four months after getting married to Claudia Scarpari, the mother of his two daughters.
Inzaghi has deployed him in the Harry Maguire roll -throwing the large center back in the desperate hunt for a goal.
And just like the Manchester United -man against Lyon, Acerbi Trumps came up.
Unbelievable, that was his very first career goal in European football in his 66th performance in the Champions League and Europa League.
To make the finish even more impressive and remarkable, the Left 6ft 4ins unit scored with his right foot.
So it was no wonder that he enjoys his famous black-blue shirt and then his lower layers in pure unbridled purification to reveal his tattooed hull.
Acerbi's Many Inkings will tell their own stories.
But the image of the seasoned and combat-written retired pensioner is not sure how he can celebrate his magical moment, other than cheerfully jumping on his knees.