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Tonight, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys will host one of the most anticipated matches of the 2024/2025 Champions League season, as Barcelona faces Inter in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Barcelona, led by coach Hansi Flick, come into this match on the back of an impressive season. The Blaugrana are top of La Liga, won the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid last Saturday and eliminated Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals 5-3 on aggregate, despite losing the second leg 3-1. With a killer attack led by Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona have scored 37 goals in this season's Champions League, more than any other team.
Meanwhile, Inter, the Serie A champions and coached by Simone Inzaghi, have shown their strength with a near-impenetrable defence, conceding just five goals and keeping eight clean sheets in 12 matches in the competition. The Nerazzurri eliminated Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate, thanks to two goals from Lautaro Martinez, who became the first Inter player to score in five consecutive Champions League matches. However, Inter's recent form has waned, with three consecutive defeats in all competitions, including a 3-0 defeat to Milan in the Coppa Italia.
This is the second time Barcelona and Inter have met in the Champions League semi-finals. In 2010, José Mourinho's Inter won 3-2 on aggregate, going on to win the European title. Overall, Barcelona have a positive record against Inter in this competition, with six wins, four draws and two losses in 12 matches. Both teams have the best active scorers in head-to-head matches: Lewandowski and Martinez, with two goals each.
The match is expected to be a battle between Barcelona's fearsome attack and Inter's iron-clad defence. Expert Graham Hunter notes that Barcelona's recent Copa del Rey victory may have left them physically fatigued, while Inter are suffering from recent defeats, making physical and mental fitness a crucial factor. For Barcelona, the possible return of left-back Alejandro Balde could be an advantage, while Inter will rely on the Martinez-Thuram attacking duo to exploit the Catalans' defensive weaknesses, who have conceded 17 goals in 12 games.
Barcelona's possible line-up, according to UEFA, includes: Szczęsny; Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Gerard Martín; De Jong, Peter; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Ferran Torres.
Inter, meanwhile, are expected to maintain their disciplined 3-5-2 formation, with Martinez and Thuram up front.
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