FC Barcelona is set to face Inter Milan at home on Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal tie. This comes shortly after Hansi Flick`s side secured their second trophy of the 2024-25 season, defeating Carlo Ancelotti`s Real Madrid 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final. Still in contention for a historic treble under the German coach, Barcelona currently leads La Liga by four points over Real Madrid and remains a top contender in Europe`s premier club competition. In contrast, Inter arrives following a challenging period, having suffered three consecutive defeats for the first time under manager Simone Inzaghi – losses to Bologna and AS Roma in Serie A, and elimination by city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Inter now sits three points behind Antonio Conte`s Napoli in Serie A with just four matches remaining, facing a high probability of ending the season without silverware.
Earlier this week, Spain experienced a significant power outage affecting areas including Madrid and Barcelona, causing disruption to transport and airports. As Inter prepares to fly to Spain on Tuesday, this situation brings to mind a similar event in 2010. At that time, ash from the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull volcano grounded flights across Europe. The Barcelona squad, then managed by Pep Guardiola, was forced to undertake a roughly 1,000-kilometer bus journey from Barcelona to Milan for the first leg, a demanding trip that took about 14 hours over two days, including an overnight stop in Cannes, France.
Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, April 30
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Where to Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: FC Barcelona -165; Draw +300; Inter +425
Recent History
The most recent encounters between the two teams were in the 2022-23 Champions League group stage – the same season Inter reached the final before losing to Manchester City. Inter secured a 1-0 victory at San Siro on Matchday 3 thanks to Hakan Çalhanoğlu`s goal. The return match at the Camp Nou was a thrilling 3-3 draw. 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, before Robin Gosens put Inter ahead again in the 89th minute. However, Lewandowski rescued a point for Barcelona deep into added time. This draw marked the first time Inter had avoided defeat at Barcelona in six visits, and these were their only goals in their last five trips there. Notably, the sides also met in the 2010 Champions League semifinals.
Path to the Semifinals
Both teams navigated challenging paths to reach the semifinals. Barcelona had a strong league phase performance, finishing second with 19 points from eight games (six wins, one draw, one defeat). In the knockout rounds, they overcame Benfica (4-1 on aggregate) before defeating Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals. Inter also had a successful group stage, finishing fourth with six wins, one draw, and only one loss (away to Bayer Leverkusen). Their journey through the knockout stages included beating Feyenoord in the Round of 16, followed by a victory over German giants Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals (4-3 on aggregate).
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 Spotlight
Barcelona`s Brazilian winger Raphinha has been a standout performer this season, scoring 30 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions. He has become a crucial player under Hansi Flick, and a potential Champions League and treble win could position him as a strong contender for the Ballon d`Or later this year.
Injury Updates
Both sides are currently managing significant injury concerns. The home team will be without full-back Alejandro Balde and, notably, their star striker Robert Lewandowski for this first leg, although Lewandowski is anticipated to return for the second leg in Milan. Inter welcomes back Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski. Marcus Thuram trained with the squad on Tuesday and will travel, but his inclusion in the starting lineup is uncertain. French defender Benjamin Pavard is unavailable for Wednesday`s match after sustaining an injury in Inter`s recent 1-0 home loss to AS Roma.
Match Prediction
Inter is currently going through a difficult patch, which could benefit FC Barcelona. However, the tie is far from decided, and Flick`s team faces a tough challenge when they travel to Milan for the second leg.
Adrian Whitmore