Inter Milan vs Barcelona

Following last week’s electrifying first leg, European giants Inter Milan and Barcelona face off again on Tuesday to settle their Champions League semi-final.

After a six-goal thriller in Spain, the teams reconvene for the second leg at San Siro, with Inter chasing a fourth European title and Barcelona aiming for their sixth.

In a wild clash in Catalonia, the tournament’s tightest defense met its most dynamic attack, delivering a breathtaking spectacle. Marcus Thuram’s clever flick gave Inter the lead just 30 seconds in, marking the fastest semi-final goal in Champions League history.

Denzel Dumfries, previously scoring only once in 39 European games, netted twice around Lamine Yamal’s stunning strike, but Barcelona fought back, also scoring three times at Montjuic.

Despite squandering a two-goal advantage, Inter were satisfied with a draw against Yamal-led Barcelona, buoyed by the prospect of playing at home in the return leg.

Simone Inzaghi’s team, which had conceded just five goals and secured eight clean sheets en route to the semis, matched Barcelona’s 19 points in the league phase and ousted Feyenoord and Bayern Munich. Yet, they struggled to contain the Blaugrana.

Inter famously defeated Barcelona in the 2010 semi-finals en route to their last Champions League triumph, with Jose Mourinho’s seasoned squad edging a 3-2 aggregate victory before beating Bayern in the final.

Inzaghi’s current team mirrors the age profile of that 2010 side and remains a powerhouse at home, unbeaten in their last 15 UEFA home matches, winning 12. Historically, they’ve won nine of their last 11 home semi-finals in Europe, and another victory could pit the 2023 finalists against Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

However, recent form raises concerns: a lackluster 1-0 win over Hellas Verona on Saturday snapped a five-game winless run, but the Serie A champions lag behind Napoli in a tight title race.

While Inter’s treble dreams ended with a Coppa Italia defeat to AC Milan last month, Barcelona remain in contention for three trophies, having already claimed the Spanish Super Cup.

Fresh off a Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid, the Catalans lead La Liga with just four games left after a 2-1 victory against struggling Real Valladolid on Saturday.

Barcelona have won 24 of their last 30 matches, with their only recent loss coming against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-finals when the tie was nearly decided. Their blistering attack continues to strike fear across Europe.

Lamine Yamal continues to make history, adding another stunning goal last week to bring his Champions League tally to five this season. Only a select few teenagers have scored more in a single campaign: Erling Haaland (10 in 2019-20), Kylian Mbappé (6 in 2016-17), and Raúl (6 in 1995-96).

Raphinha is also rewriting the record books. The Brazilian star has contributed to 20 goals this term, a feat only surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013-14 (17 goals, 4 assists) in a single Champions League season.

As a team, Barcelona have been relentless in front of goal, netting 40 times in this year’s competition—just five shy of their own record set in 1999-00 (45). Under Hansi Flick, a previous Champions League winner with Bayern Munich, Barça are now pushing to reach their first final since lifting the trophy in 2015.

However, history isn’t entirely on their side. The Catalans have lost their last four away semi-final matches and have only managed two wins on the road at this stage, suffering 11 defeats. Their record at San Siro is also concerning, with just one victory in six meetings against Inter. More broadly, Barcelona have struggled in Italy, winning only five of their 24 Champions League visits to Serie A sides.