Bidding to book a ticket in the UEFA Champions League final, Barcelona host Inter Milan in Montjuic in the first leg of the semi-final on Wednesday night.
Having made it through to the semis by beating Borussia Dortmund 5-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, Hansi Flick’s side claimed the Copa del Rey last weekend by beating bitter rivals Real Madrid in a five-goal thriller in Seville. After 116 minutes, an extra-time strike from Jules Kounde turned out to be the winner.
High in confidence after the Copa del Rey triumph, Blaugrana will be favourites on paper against Inter Milan, who head to Spain on the back of three consecutive defeats across different competitions.
Barcelona Team News
Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde missed the Copa del Rey final due to respective injuries, although the latter has a chance to feature. If Balde misses a late fitness test, Gerard Martin could continue to deputise at left-back for Barcelona.
Predicted Barcelona lineup vs Inter Milan (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Barcelona No.1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen is back in contention, having returned to the squad against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final for the first time since September. However, veteran Wojciech Szczesny is set to keep his place in goal intact for now.
Defence
Lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation ahead of Szczesny, young Pau Cubarsi should partner Inigo Martinez at the heart of Barcelona’s backline. The duo have to be at their best to keep Lautaro Martinez at bay.
Martin is ready to start at left-back if Balde misses out, while Kounde hopes to produce another stellar night from the right-back position. They must smartly combat Inter’s rampaging wing-backs and try pinning them back as much as possible.
Midfield
The midfield looks set for the home side. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong will start at the base, trying to control the pace of the play with their crisp passing and smart positioning.
Their presence should liberate Dani Olmo to pick up pockets of spaces in the final third and hurt Inter. The Spanish playmaker will be key in unlocking the Italian side’s defence, which has looked shaky of late. Fermin Lopez, Eric Garcia and Gavi should be options to bring on from the bench.
Attack
In Lewandowski’s absence, Ferran Torres should lead the Barcelona attack. The Spaniard should be high in confidence after scoring in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha should flank Torres, trying to bring their guile, invention and pace on the pitch to cause all kinds of problems for the Inter defence. If the trio can combine well in the final third, the Nerazzurri may end up having a long night in Montjuic.
