FC Barcelona is set to host Inter Milan on Wednesday for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. The Catalan side, managed by Hansi Flick, is enjoying a successful season, having recently secured their second trophy by defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final. Still pursuing a potential treble, Barcelona currently leads La Liga by four points over Real Madrid and is a strong contender in Europe`s top competition.
In contrast, Inter Milan faces a difficult period. Under Simone Inzaghi, they have recently suffered three consecutive defeats – in Serie A against Bologna and AS Roma, and a Coppa Italia semifinal exit to city rivals AC Milan. Inter is now three points behind Napoli in Serie A with only four matches remaining, making a trophy-less season likely.
This match takes place against a backdrop of a recent large-scale power outage across Spain on Monday, affecting cities like Madrid and Barcelona and causing travel disruptions. This echoes events from 2010 when the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption grounded flights across Europe. On that occasion, a Barcelona team managed by Pep Guardiola had to undertake a challenging 1,000km, 14-hour bus journey over two days to reach Milan for their Champions League tie against Inter, highlighting the potential impact of unexpected travel issues.
Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, April 30
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Live Stream: Paramount+
- Odds: FC Barcelona -165; Draw +300; Inter +425
Recent Encounters
These two clubs last met in the group stage of the 2022-23 season, a campaign where Inter went on to reach the final. In the first group match at San Siro, Inter secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a Hakan Çalhanoğlu goal. The return fixture at the Camp Nou was a thrilling 3-3 draw. After Ousmane Dembélé opened the scoring for Barça, goals from Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez gave Inter the lead. Robert Lewandowski equalized, but Robin Gosens seemed to have won it for Inter in the 89th minute, only for Lewandowski to score again deep in added time. This draw marked the first time Inter had avoided defeat at Barcelona in six visits.
Beyond the recent games, the clubs also famously faced each other in the 2010 Champions League semifinals.
Path to the Semifinals
Barcelona navigated their way to the knockout stages by finishing second in the league phase with 19 points from eight matches. They overcame Benfica 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16 before defeating Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals.
Inter also had a strong league phase, finishing fourth with six wins and one draw, suffering only one defeat. They progressed by beating Feyenoord in the Round of 16 and then impressively knocked out Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
Predicted Lineups
FC Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Ferran Torres.
Inter Milan: 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)
Brazilian winger Raphinha has been in exceptional form this season, contributing significantly with 30 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions. He is a crucial player for Flick`s side, and a strong performance in the Champions League, especially if Barcelona achieve success like winning the treble, could position him as a contender for the Ballon d`Or.
Key Storyline: Injuries
Both teams are facing significant injury concerns. For Barcelona, Alejandro Balde is unavailable, and crucially, leading striker Robert Lewandowski is expected to miss the first leg, aiming for a return in the second leg in Milan. Inter welcomes back Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski, but the availability of Marcus Thuram for the starting XI is uncertain, although he is traveling with the squad. Additionally, defender Benjamin Pavard is ruled out after sustaining an injury in Inter`s recent Serie A match.
Prediction
Given Inter`s recent poor form, Barcelona has an opportunity to take an advantage in the first leg. However, winning this tie will be challenging, especially with the return leg in Milan still to come.
Predicted Score: Barcelona 2, Inter 1
Dominic Ashworth