FC Barcelona is set to host Inter Milan on Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal tie. This match takes place just days after Hansi Flick`s Barcelona side secured their second trophy of the 2024-25 season, winning the Copa del Rey final 3-2 against Carlo Ancelotti`s Real Madrid. Under the German manager, the Blaugrana are still in contention for a treble, currently leading the La Liga standings by four points over Real Madrid and having reached the final four of Europe`s premier club competition.
Inter, on the other hand, is experiencing a challenging period. The Nerazzurri have lost three consecutive matches for the first time under manager Simone Inzaghi – suffering defeats against Bologna and AS Roma in Serie A, and being eliminated by city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Inter now trails Antonio Conte`s Napoli by three points in the Serie A standings with only four games remaining, significantly reducing their chances of finishing the season with silverware.
Leading up to the match, Spain experienced a widespread power outage affecting cities including Madrid and Barcelona, causing disruptions to airports and transportation. As Inter was scheduled to fly to Spain on Tuesday, this brought back memories of the 2010 situation when the eruption of Iceland`s Eyjafjallajökull volcano grounded flights across Europe. The Barcelona team, then coached by Pep Guardiola, was forced to undertake an approximately 1,000-kilometer bus journey from Barcelona to Milan for the first leg, a trip that took around 14 hours over two days with an overnight stop.
Match Details
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
Last Meeting
The two teams last met during the 2022-23 Champions League group stage, in the same season Inter reached the final in Istanbul, losing to Manchester City. Inter won the first match at San Siro 1-0 thanks to a goal from Hakan Çalhanoğlu. The return fixture at the Camp Nou was a six-goal thriller. Ousmane Dembélé opened the scoring for Barça, but Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez turned the game around for Inter. Robert Lewandowski equalized for Barcelona with eight minutes left, but Robin Gosens seemed to have secured a win for the visitors in the 89th minute, only for Lewandowski to level again in added time, making it 3-3. That was Inter`s first time avoiding defeat at Barcelona in six visits, and their only goals in their last five trips to the Camp Nou. Significantly, Barcelona and Inter also met in the 2010 Champions League semifinals.
Road to the Semifinals
Barcelona had a strong showing in the league phase, finishing second in their group with 19 points from eight games (six wins, one draw against Atalanta on the last matchday, and one defeat). Before eliminating Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals, FC Barcelona defeated Benfica 4-1 on aggregate in the round of 16. Inter also had a successful group stage, finishing fourth with six wins, one draw, and only one defeat away against Bayer Leverkusen. Inter overcame Feyenoord in the round of 16, after the Dutch side had knocked out AC Milan in the playoffs. The Nerazzurri then knocked out German giants Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals with a 4-3 aggregate score.
Predicted Lineups
FC Barcelona XI: Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Ferran Torres.
Inter 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 in outstanding form this season, scoring 30 goals in 50 games across all competitions. He has become one of Barcelona`s key players under Flick. If he helps Barcelona win the Champions League, and potentially the treble, he could emerge as a strong candidate for the Ballon d`Or later this year.
Storyline to Watch
Injuries Affecting Both Teams — Both squads are dealing with significant injuries. The home side will be without Alejandro Balde and, notably, former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, though he is expected to return for the second leg in Milan next week. Inter sees the return of both Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski. Marcus Thuram traveled with the squad after training on Tuesday, but his place in the starting lineup is uncertain. French defender Benjamin Pavard is unavailable for Wednesday`s match after sustaining an injury in Sunday`s 1-0 home loss against AS Roma.
Prediction
Inter is currently going through a difficult patch, which could benefit FC Barcelona. However, it won`t be an easy task for Flick`s team, especially with the return leg in Milan next week. Pick: Barcelona 2, Inter 1.
