FC Barcelona is set to host Inter Milan on Wednesday for the initial match of their UEFA Champions League semifinal tie. This encounter follows just days after Hansi Flick`s squad clinched their second piece of silverware for the 2024-25 season, overcoming Carlo Ancelotti`s Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory in the Copa del Rey final. Under the German coach, the Blaugrana remain in contention for a historic treble. They currently sit atop the La Liga standings with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid and have reached the final four of Europe`s most prestigious club competition. In contrast, Inter is coming off a challenging period, having suffered three consecutive defeats for the first time under manager Simone Inzaghi – losses against Bologna and AS Roma in Serie A, and elimination by city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Inter now trails Antonio Conte`s Napoli by three points in Serie A with only four matches remaining, facing high odds of finishing the season without a trophy.
Earlier this week, Spain experienced a significant power outage that impacted the entire country, including Madrid and Barcelona. This blackout caused widespread disruption, affecting airports and transportation networks. With Inter scheduled to fly to Spain on Tuesday, the situation brought to mind a similar event in 2010. At that time, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland produced a massive ash cloud that severely disrupted air travel across Europe, grounding flights due to the risk of volcanic ash damaging aircraft engines. The Barcelona team, then managed by Pep Guardiola, was unable to fly to Milan for the first leg. Instead, they were compelled to travel roughly 1,000 kilometers by bus from Barcelona to Milan, a journey that spanned about 14 hours over two days, including an overnight stop in Cannes, France.
Recent Encounters
The last time these two teams met was during the group stage of the 2022-23 season, the same year Inter reached the final in Istanbul, where they lost to Manchester City. In their first group match at San Siro, Inter`s Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored the sole goal in first-half stoppage time. The return match at the Camp Nou was a six-goal thriller. Ousmane Dembélé put Barça ahead in the 40th minute, but Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez turned the scoreline in Inter`s favor. Robert Lewandowski equalized eight minutes from time, only for Robin Gosens to seemingly secure victory for the visitors with an 89th-minute strike. However, Lewandowski leveled the score again two minutes into added time. This draw marked the first time Inter had avoided defeat at Barcelona in their sixth visit, and their only goals scored in their last five trips to the Catalan city. Notably, Barcelona and Inter previously faced each other in the 2010 Champions League semifinals.
Journey to the Semifinals
Barcelona emerged as one of the top performers in the league phase, finishing second in the standings under Hansi Flick with 19 points from eight games (six wins, one draw in the final matchday against Atalanta, and one loss). Before eliminating Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals, FC Barcelona had defeated Benfica (4-1 on aggregate) in the previous round. Inter also had a successful league phase, securing fourth place with six wins, one draw, and just one defeat away to Bayer Leverkusen. In the round of 16, Inter overcame Feyenoord, who had knocked out AC Milan in the playoffs, before defeating German giants Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals (4-3 on aggregate).
Predicted Lineups
FC Barcelona (Probable XI): Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Ferran Torres.
Inter Milan (Probable XI): Yann Sommer; Yann Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrix Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Marko Arnautovic.
Player to Watch
Raphinha, FC Barcelona – The Brazilian winger has been exceptional this season, having already netted 30 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions. He has established himself as a key player for Barcelona under Flick`s management. If he contributes significantly to Barcelona winning the Champions League, and potentially the treble, he could be a strong contender for the Ballon d`Or later this year.
Key Storyline
Impact of Injuries on Both Teams – Both sides are currently dealing with notable injury concerns. The home team will be without Alejandro Balde and, significantly, former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who is expected to return for the second leg in Milan next week. For Inter, Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski are set to make comebacks. Marcus Thuram is traveling with the squad after training on Tuesday, but his inclusion in the starting lineup remains uncertain. French defender Benjamin Pavard will be unavailable for Wednesday`s game after sustaining an injury in the first half of Inter`s 1-0 home defeat against AS Roma on Sunday.
Match Prediction
Inter Milan is currently going through a challenging patch, which could potentially benefit FC Barcelona. However, securing a strong first-leg advantage will not be straightforward for Flick`s team, especially with the return leg in Milan still to come. Predicted Score: Barcelona 2, Inter 1.
