FC Barcelona is set to host Inter Milan this Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal clash. This match follows closely after Hansi Flick`s Barcelona side clinched their second trophy of the 2024-25 season, securing a thrilling 3-2 victory against Carlo Ancelotti`s Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final.
Under the guidance of their German manager, the Blaugrana are still actively pursuing a potential treble. They currently maintain their position at the top of the La Liga standings, holding a four-point advantage over Real Madrid, and have reached the final four stage of Europe`s most prestigious club competition.
Inter, conversely, enters this fixture after a challenging period. Simone Inzaghi`s team recently experienced a run of three consecutive losses for the first time under his management. These defeats included Serie A fixtures against Bologna and AS Roma, as well as an elimination from the Coppa Italia semifinals by their city rivals, AC Milan. With just four games remaining in the Serie A season, Inter trails Antonio Conte`s Napoli by three points, increasing the likelihood they might finish the current campaign without securing any silverware.
Adding a unique historical context to the tie, Spain recently faced a significant power outage affecting multiple regions, including Madrid and Barcelona. This disruption caused widespread issues, particularly impacting airports and general transportation. As Inter is scheduled to travel to Spain on Tuesday, this situation recalls a similar event in 2010. That year, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland created a vast ash cloud across Europe, severely disrupting air travel due to the risk to aircraft engines.
In 2010, Pep Guardiola`s Barcelona team was unable to fly to Milan for their first leg semifinal tie against Inter. Consequently, Barcelona had to undertake a grueling journey of approximately 1,000 kilometers by bus from Barcelona to Milan. This trip spanned about 14 hours over two days, including an overnight stop in Cannes, France.
How to Watch FC Barcelona vs. Inter
- 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
Last Encounter
The most recent meetings between the two clubs occurred during the 2022-23 Champions League group stage, the same season Inter advanced to the final in Istanbul where they lost to Manchester City. In the Matchday 3 fixture at San Siro, Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored the decisive goal for Inter in first-half added time for a 1-0 win. The return match at the Camp Nou was a six-goal thriller. Ousmane Dembélé put Barça ahead in the 40th minute, but Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez turned the scoreline around for Inter. Robert Lewandowski equalized for Barcelona with eight minutes left, only for Robin Gosens to seemingly secure victory for the visitors in the 89th minute. However, Lewandowski struck again just two minutes into added time to level it at 3-3. That result marked the first time Inter avoided defeat at Barcelona on their sixth visit and represented their only goals in their last five trips there. Notably, Barcelona and Inter also famously met in the 2010 Champions League semifinals.
Path to the Semifinals
Barcelona demonstrated strong form in the league phase, finishing second in their group with 19 points from eight matches, including six wins, one draw (against Atalanta on the final matchday), and one defeat. Before overcoming Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals, FC Barcelona had defeated Benfica 4-1 on aggregate in the previous knockout round.
Inter also had a successful group stage campaign, securing fourth place with six victories, one draw, and suffering just one loss away to Bayer Leverkusen. In the Round of 16, Inter defeated Feyenoord, who had previously knocked out AC Milan in the playoffs. Following that, Inter eliminated 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, having already netted 30 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions. He has become a pivotal player for Barcelona under Hansi Flick. Should Barcelona succeed in winning the Champions League, and potentially the treble, Raphinha could emerge as a strong contender for the Ballon d`Or award later this year.
Storyline to Watch
Injury Concerns for Both Teams — Both sides are contending with significant injury issues. The hosts will be without Alejandro Balde and, notably, former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, although he is anticipated to be available for the second leg in Milan next week. For Inter, Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski are set to return. Marcus Thuram has rejoined training with the squad on Tuesday and will travel, but his inclusion in the starting lineup remains uncertain. French defender Benjamin Pavard is unavailable for Wednesday`s match after sustaining an injury during the first half of Inter`s recent 1-0 home defeat against AS Roma.
Prediction
Inter is currently navigating a challenging period, which could provide an advantage for FC Barcelona. However, this tie is unlikely to be straightforward for Flick`s side, who will need a positive result ahead of traveling to Milan for the second leg next week to secure their place in the final. Pick: Barcelona 2, Inter 1.
