Fifteen years after their Champions League semifinal collision, Barcelona and Inter Milan collide once more on Wednesday at Montjuic in a high-stakes rematch drenched in legacy and ambition.
In 2010, it was Jose Mourinho’s Inter who survived the storm, edging Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut 3-2 on combination earlier than lifting the trophy in Madrid.
Fast ahead to 2025, the stakes stay sky-high, however the scripts have flipped.
Barcelona, below German tactician Hansi Flick, are roaring again to continental relevance, chasing their first Champions League ultimate since 2015.
Inter, runners-up to Manchester City simply final 12 months, are determined to complete the job they couldn’t a season in the past.
Catalan resurgence
Flick’s fearless, free-scoring Barca have been electrical in Europe – 37 objectives in 12 video games, averaging 3.1 per match.
Only Flick’s 2020 Bayern facet ever did higher.
They eased previous Benfica within the final 16, crushed Dortmund 4-0 at house within the quarters, and regardless of dropping the second leg 3-1, sailed into their first semi since 2019.
At house, they’re flawless: 5 wins, one draw, 21 objectives.
Carrying loads of momentum, contemporary from a 3-2 Copa del Rey ultimate win over Real Madrid – sealed in extra-time by Jules Kounde – they now lead La Liga by 4 factors and have gained 23 of their final 28 matches.
Inter’s iron will
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter are a special beast: tactically disciplined, defensively gritty, and brutally environment friendly.
They have misplaced simply two of their final 20 UCL matches, conceded solely 5 objectives on this marketing campaign, and stored a tournament-high eight clear sheets.
They matched Barca with 19 factors within the new league part, then dispatched Feyenoord and shocked Bayern Munich to return to the ultimate 4.
Davide Frattesi’s late winner in Bavaria tipped the stability earlier than a gritty 2-2 draw at San Siro sealed the deal.
Yet fatigue is creeping in.
After a 13-match unbeaten run, Inter crashed out of the Coppa Italia with a 3-0 defeat to AC Milan, then suffered back-to-back Serie A losses to Bologna and Roma, dropping prime spot to Napoli.
Battle forward
Inzaghi marks his fiftieth UEFA competitors look, boasting 26 wins, greater than any Italian earlier than him at this stage.
Barcelona have gained six of their 12 European conferences with Inter – however none of that issues now.
What counts is who survives this two-legged chess match.
With attacking fireworks on one finish and defensive stonewalls on the opposite, Wednesday’s first leg at Montjuic is about to crackle.
Likely lineups and health points
Barcelona will as soon as once more be with out star striker Robert Lewandowski, who stays sidelined by a hamstring damage and will miss subsequent week’s return leg as properly.
The Catalan facet hopes to welcome again first-choice left-back Alejandro Balde, although Gerard Martin is on standby to proceed in protection alongside Inigo Martinez, Jules Kounde, and teenage sensation Pau Cubarsi.
Midfield choices stay barely skinny, with Marc Bernal and Marc Casado each dominated out as a result of knee issues.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has rejoined the squad for the primary time since September however is anticipated to ease again into motion, with veteran Wojciech Szczesny prone to retain the beginning spot between the posts.
In assault, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are set to assist Ferran Torres.
The duo has mixed for 5 Champions League objectives and 16 probabilities created – essentially the most by any pair on this 12 months’s competitors – and, together with Lewandowski, have been accountable for 27 of Barcelona’s 37 European objectives this season.
Inter Milan, in the meantime, are sweating over the health of Marcus Thuram, who’s battling a thigh damage however may make a return at Montjuic after lacking the final three video games.
His absence has left Lautaro Martinez – who has scored in every of his final 5 Champions League outings – shouldering the attacking burden.
The alternate options, Joaquin Correa, Marko Arnautovic, and Medhi Taremi, have but to step up convincingly in Thuram’s absence.
There’s additionally concern over Benjamin Pavard, who sprained an ankle within the weekend loss to Roma, whereas Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski each returned to motion in that recreation following temporary layoffs.
Key figures Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are anticipated to fit again into the beginning XI after serving home bans.
Source: www.dailysabah.com