Fifteen years on from their last clash in the Champions League semi-finals, Barcelona and Inter Milan convene for another last-four tie, with the former playing host to Wednesday’s first leg.
Inter prevailed back in 2010, but Barca now aim to eliminate their Italian rivals and meet either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in next month’s decider.
Having made it through to the semis with apparent ease, Barcelona are now bidding to reach the Champions League final for the first time, since claiming their fifth European Cup in 2015.
In their first European campaign under German boss Hansi Flick, Barca have scored at a rate of 3.1 goals per game.
Following a decisive 4-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals – a stage where they had lost on five of their last six attempts to progress – they eased off in Germany and suffered a 3-1 defeat, still cruising through to the final four.
En route, the Catalan club have won five and drawn one of their six home matches, while racking up 21 goals, and Flick’s free-scoring team notched three more in Seville on Saturday evening, and they came out on top in a typically dramatic ‘El Clasico’ edition of the Copa del Rey final.
Head-to- Head
Barca were winless in the teams’ two most recent meetings – during the 2022-23 group stage – and also lost their last semi-final showdown. Barcelona may have had the better of the clubs’ 12 Champions League clashes overall, winning half, but Inter memorably won the most important so far: Jose Mourinho‘s experienced squad beat Barca 3-2 on aggregate before tasting glory in the 2010 final.
European champions for a third time that year, the Milan giants were runners-up to Manchester City in 2023, but they are now intent on going one step further.
After matching Barcelona’s 19 points in this season’s league phase, Inter then defeated Feyenoord home and away in the last 16, before ending Bayern Munich’s hopes of reaching a continental final in their own stadium.
Notoriously tough to beat, Simone Inzaghi‘s side have suffered just two defeats in their last 20 Champions League matches, and Inter’s coach now takes charge of his 50th game in UEFA’s top competition, becoming the seventh Italian to reach that milestone – none of the others can match his record of 26 wins.
While Inzaghi’s well-drilled team have scored 19 goals in this term’s campaign, compared to Barca’s 37, it is their defensive grit that makes them such formidable opponents: so far, they have conceded just five times and kept eight clean sheets.
However, recent results suggest that tired legs and minds could cost them on Wednesday: Inter lost 3-0 to old foes AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals last week.
Indeed, a 1-0 home defeat to Roma left the Nerazzurri three points behind new league leaders Napoli with four games remaining, casting doubt over whether they can successfully defend the Scudetto.
Before returning to that task against Hellas Verona this weekend, Inter must first try to rediscover their resilience and keep Barca’s brilliant attack at arm’s length.
Injuries
Still without star striker Robert Lewandowski, who suffered a hamstring injury earlier this month and may also miss next week’s return leg, Barcelona hope to have first choice left-back Alejandro Balde back in action.
Number one goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is back in contention, having returned to the squad for the first time since September, but vastly experienced back-up Wojciech Szczesny is set to keep the gloves for now.
Meanwhile, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has found the net in all of his last five Champions League appearances, becoming the first player to score more than 20 times for the Nerazzurri in UEFA’s top tournament.
His preferred Marcus Thuram partner – who has scored a career best 14 league goals this term – hopes to play some part at Montjuic, having missed the last three games with a thigh injury. Alternative options Joaquin Correa, Marko Arnautovic and Medhi Taremi have not convinced.
Thuram’s French compatriot Benjamin Pavard sprained an ankle on Sunday, so his presence may be in some doubt, but Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski both returned to action against Roma following layoffs.
Prediction
Still on course for a quadruple this season, Barcelona are unbeaten in six home games against Inter to date, and they can continue in that same vein at Montjuic.
Amid concerns about form and fitness, the Nerazzurri’s ageing squad are in danger of ending their own trophy quest empty-handed – particularly with a deficit to make up in Milan.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
