Tomorrow, San Siro will host the second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona. A highly decisive match, especially after the 3-3 draw in the first leg.

Alessandro Bastoni, Inter’s valuable defender, attended the pre-match press conference.

Do you think Inter will give 110% tomorrow? “Absolutely, we are two games away from winning the Champions League, and we will give even more—200%. We know reaching the semi-finals doesn’t happen every year. It might seem easy from the outside, but we are extremely motivated.”

What did you learn from the first leg? “We analyzed many clips, but playing against them is the best way to understand them. We made some mistakes in the first leg due to their style. We can improve and will use that experience.”

What is your heart telling you now? “I can only feel proud of the journey we’ve had this season. We’ve played many matches and are eager to perform well and make our fans happy. That’s why it’s frustrating when our daily efforts go unnoticed. We haven’t had a day off in a long time because we want to finish the season strong. We had a dip in form, but I can only thank this team.”

What do you expect from the fans? “Tomorrow will be tough, like the first leg. In those moments, we need the support of all Nerazzurri fans, even though it’s 11 vs. 11 on the pitch.”

With a budget ranking 13th or 14th in Europe, is this a miracle or an excuse? “We are two games away from winning the Champions League—that’s the goal. Reaching this stage with our budget shows the great work of the coach and the club. No one considered Inter contenders at the start of the season. I’m proud.”

You, Pavard, and Acerbi are experienced. Is that an advantage? “There are two perspectives—their freshness and youth are also important. We use our technical and physical qualities. The first leg gave us a good idea of Barcelona’s style.”

Should Inter be considered a European giant? “Based on our performances, yes. We’ve never hidden, and we won’t now. Words are meaningless; performances speak the truth.”

Is it true that you prioritized the Champions League over Serie A? “No, I’ve never heard the coach say we shouldn’t try in Serie A to win the Champions League. Our dip in form was natural, but we’re still only three points behind the league leaders and two games away from the Champions League title.”

How important is having a captain like Lautaro? “I’ve always said that individually, we might not be among the top four in Europe, but together we are extraordinary. Lautaro is a moral and physical leader, and we know how important he is. There’s always tension before matches, but looking back, this is what we dreamed of. I’ll try to enjoy it.”

Barcelona called referee Marciniak a ‘Madridista.’ What do you think? “We’ve played under his refereeing before. Regardless of the result, we like him because you can talk to him.”

Do you think Inter has suffered from refereeing? “I don’t think Serie A is rigged or that refereeing issues exist. As I said, performances always speak the truth.”

Pavard has 50 Champions League games and 40 wins—that’s no coincidence: “I hope he reaches 42 wins, meaning we’ve won the trophy. Benjamin was an incredible signing—he’s won the Champions League and the World Cup. I don’t need to say more. I hope he can return.”