Barcelona vs Inter Preview, Team News, & Predictions

In the first leg of the second semi-final of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League, treble-chasers Barcelona will take on Inter at the Lluis Companys Stadium on Wednesday, April 30.

The two-legged tie beginning on Wednesday would be a rematch of the 2009-10 Champions League semi-final, where the Nerazzurri trumped Pep Guardiola’s men as Jose Mourinho went on to win the treble with the Milan-based club. Overall, the two clubs have met on 16 occasions in Europe, where the Catalans have won eight, drawn five, and lost three of the fixtures, including a recent defeat in the 2022-23 UCL campaign.

Learn more about the odds, team news, picks, and predictions for the thrilling first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Inter:

Where to watch Barcelona vs Inter

Here is when and where to watch the clash between Barcelona and Inter:

Date: 04/30

Time: 3 pm ET

Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona

Referees: Clement Turpin & Team

Where to watch: The match can be watched on ESPN+ in the USA

Barcelona vs Inter Preview

Barcelona are unbeaten at home against Inter in the Champions League, winning five of the six meetings on Spanish shores, which is the joint-most number of wins for the 2024-25 Copa del Rey winners against any team in Europe, alongside five wins against AC Milan as well.

Barcelona

Barcelona looked like a shadow of themselves in the last few years, and while Xavi’s reign had many positives, Hansi Flick has brought the consistency and hunger for trophies back to the squad. On Saturday, Barcelona defeated arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in extra time in the Copa del Rey Final, winning their first major trophy of the season as the Blaugrana continues their pursuit of the treble.

Robert Lewandowski’s unavailability would be a major concern for Flick, although the German manager should feel confident about the form of Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez, both of whom have sparkled after sustained periods on the bench. Marc Andre Ter-Stegen also returned to the squad in the weekend’s win and is available to don the gloves if Flick is looking for an alternative for Wojciech Szczesny. While the German goalkeeper was named on the bench on Saturday, Alejandaro Balde missed the bus but could be declared fit for Wednesday’s battle against Inter if he passes a late fitness test.

Predicted Starting XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Martin; de Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Lopez, Raphinha; Torres

Inter

Unlike their opponents for Wednesday, Inter’s treble dreams came crashing last week as arch-rivals AC Milan knocked them out of the Coppa Italia and Simeone Inzaghi’s men also lost the two league fixtures sandwiching the second leg of the cup semi-final. Now, Inter needs to bounce back and produce a heroic performance in Catalonia if they want to win at least one trophy at the end of the season.

Inzaghi would be worried about the availability of the French duo Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard as the former has already missed several weeks of action, while the former Bayern Munich defender sprained his ankle on the weekend and could miss the journey to Spain. Both Piotr Zielinski and Denzel Dumfries are back in contention after the duo made appearances as substitutes in the second half of the 1-0 defeat to Roma on the weekend, as the Dutch wing-back played for almost half an hour while the former Napoli midfielder was introduced in the 80th minute.

Predicted Starting XI: Sommer; Darmian, Bastoni, Acerbi; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram

Barcelona vs Inter Under/Over Predictions

The Playoffs aim to facilitate the safest bets for the game. Have a look at the predictions for the game below.

Total goals Under 2.5 @ +138 (MGM Bet): Inter have the best defensive record in the ongoing UCL campaign, and with more Barcelona stars returning from injury, Flick would be setting up a tight back four along with an experienced goalkeeper, making goals hard to come by on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Barcelona favorites to win the 2024-25 UCL: List of odds for all teams to lift the coveted trophy

Barcelona vs Inter Player Picks

Raphinha (To Score a Goal @ +165 as per MGM Bet): In the absence of star striker Lewandowski, the mantle of finding the back of the net would fall heavily on Raphinha, the leading goalscorer in the 2024-25 UCL season amongst the teams left in the competition. While the Brazilian has scored 15 goals in 31 La Liga matches, the star forward has been shining in Europe, finding the back of the net 12 times in 12 matches, apart from contributing 7 assists.

Barcelona vs Inter Prediction

In the six matches at home this season so far, Flick’s men have won five and drawn one, scoring 21 goals at home in Europe’s elite club competition; the only time they scored more was in the 1999-2000 UCL campaign when they netted 28 goals. While Barcelona’s home record is impressive, Inter has kept the most number of clean sheets in the ongoing European campaign and should back their stars to deliver on Wednesday.

Our Final Prediction: A 2-1 win for Barcelona, given the form of their forwards, but the Nerazzurri shouldn’t be taken lightly as Inzaghi’s men have shocked several opposition clubs on their night in the ongoing season.

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Mohak Arora

A stand-up comedian and a sports journalist with speciality in writing prediction pieces and features on football, cricket, and badminton. Over the last few years, I have contributed pieces to iGaming giants like Parimatch, 1X News, and Melbet.