In-form Barça face tough Inter in first Champions League semi-final

Manos Staramopoulos • 30 de abril de 2025

Barcelona and Inter clash on Wednesday (30/4) at the “Montjuic” in Barcelona, in the first semi-final of the UEFA Champions League.

Barcelona will face Inter Milan tonight in the first match of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Barcelona and Inter clash on Wednesday (30/4) at the “Montjuic” in Barcelona, in the first semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. The “blaugrana” of German Hansi Flick return to the semi-finals for the first time since 2019, aiming to find themselves in the final again after 2015, when they lifted the precious trophy for the 5th time.

Their opponent is the tough Inter of Simone Inzaghi, finalist in 2023 in Istanbul (lost 1-0 to Manchester City with a goal by Rodri). And now they aspire to repeat the epic of 2010, when they conquered the top of Europe for the third time, then eliminating Barcelona in a semi-final that went down in history.

So now, 15 years after their last Champions League semi-final clash, Barcelona and Inter meet for another last-four tie, with Montjuic hosting the first leg. Inter prevailed in 2010, but Barcelona are now aiming to knock out their Italian rivals.

Barcelona OR Inter ❓ #UCL pic.twitter.com/MgQ48Zku8N
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 30, 2025

The Blaugrana, in their first European season under German coach Hansi Flick, have scored 3.1 goals per game (only Flick's former team, Bayern Munich, have ever averaged more) as they finished second to Liverpool in the new phase of the competition before beating Benfica in the last 16.

Then, after a decisive 4-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals (a stage where they had lost in five of their last six attempts to qualify) they calmed down in Germany and suffered a 3-1 defeat, still qualifying for the final four.

In their run, the Catalan club have won five and drawn one of their six home games, scoring 21 goals, and Flick's goal-scoring side scored another three in Seville on Saturday night as they beat Real Madrid 3-2 in extra time in a dramatic match.

Four points clear of the Blancos at the top of La Liga, Barcelona have now won 23 of their last 28 games. And they will now be looking to secure a vital first-leg lead against Italian side Inter Milan, who are unbeaten in their last 15 Champions League home games.

Flick will be without his "heavy artillery" Robert Lewandowski (injured), while left-back Balde and goalkeeper Ter Stegen are back. However, the Pole Szczesny will remain in goal.

Inter Milán

Meanwhile, Simone Inzaghi's team have suffered just two defeats in their last 20 Champions League matches, and their coach is now taking charge of his 50th match in UEFA's top competition, becoming the 7th Italian to reach that milestone - none of the others can match his record of 26 wins.

Inter are banking heavily on their strong defence, having conceded just 5 goals in 8 matches, but have looked a little tired of late. They lost 3-0 to Milan in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, while also losing 1-0 at the Meazza to Roma.

Inter, for their part, will have French forward Marcus Thuram in attack as a partner for their captain and best player, Lautaro Martinez, on whom they are betting heavily... Thuram's French compatriot Benjamin Pavard suffered a sprained ankle on Sunday, so his presence is doubtful, but Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski have both returned to action and are fully fit...