Inter Milan welcome Barcelona to the Giuseppe Meazza stadium on Wednesday evening for the crunch second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Despite losing a two-goal lead in Spain, Inter were relatively content to settle for a 3-3 draw against Barcelona ahead of the return leg. Simone Inzaghi would have been frustrated with his team’s lack of ability to keep clean sheets in recent weeks, including in the first leg against the Catalan side.
As for Barca, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha once again proved why they have been key to the team’s success this season. Hansi Flick will want his team to defend better from set-pieces this time around and take advantage of Inter’s brittleness in defence.
Inter Milan vs Barcelona – Team News
Due to a hamstring injury sustained during the first leg, Inter are set to be without top scorer Lautaro Martinez. Hakan Calhanoglu is available for selection, though, after serving a domestic suspension in Saturday’s home 1-0 win over Verona, when Simone Inzaghi completely rotated his squad.
Work hard. Dream big.#InterBarça @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/Ck46jumro3
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 5, 2025
Meanwhile, Barcelona have included Robert Lewandowski in their travelling squad, but full-backs Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde miss out.
Inter Milan vs Barcelona – Predicted lineups
Predicted Inter Milan Lineup (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Yann Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, Federico Dimarco; Mehdi Taremi, Marcus Thuram
Predicted Barcelona Lineup (4-2-3-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Inigo Martinez; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Ferran Torres
Inter Milan vs Barcelona – Key Players
Inter Milan: Marcus Thuram
Marcus Thuram gave Inter a dream start in the first leg with a clever flick past Szczesny after just 30 seconds. The Frenchman has been enjoying a strong second season in Italy, and his return from injury last week was a big boost for the Nerazzurri. With Martinez sidelined, the onus will be on Thuram to lead the attack and combine effectively with Taremi up top.
Barcelona: Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal inspired a Barcelona comeback at the Montjuic with a solo stunner. He was a constant threat for Inter, giving wing-back Federico Dimarco a torrid time. The teenager is one of the Catalan side’s most potent weapons, and if he performs well again, Inter will have to be at their very best as a unit to contain him.
Inter Milan vs Barcelona – Prediction
Inter Milan 3-2 Barcelona
