Flick and Inzaghi’s Duel in the Champions League Semifinal
Live Report: Barcelona 0-0 Inter
Barcelona and Inter Milan face off tonight in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal.
Fifteen years after their memorable semifinal clash, these two teams meet again at the same stage. The winner will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Barcelona is chasing a historic treble but must play without their top scorer, Robert Lewandowski, due to a hamstring injury. The Polish striker is also likely to miss the return leg next week. Other confirmed absentees include Alejandro Balde, Marc Bernal, and Marc Casado. Coach Hans-Dieter Flick confirmed that Wojciech Szczęsny will remain in goal despite Marc-André ter Stegen’s return from injury.
On the other side, Inter Milan hopes Marcus Thuram can feature in this match. The French forward has missed the last three games due to a thigh injury but is expected to be on the bench tonight.
Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan return after serving suspensions in Serie A, while Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zieliński have recovered from injuries sustained in the match against Roma.
Inter’s treble dreams ended last week after losing to AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals. That defeat came between two consecutive Serie A losses to Bologna and Roma, allowing Napoli to take control of the title race.
This is the first time in eight years that Inter has lost three consecutive matches across all competitions without scoring. Coach Simone Inzaghi demands his team rediscover their defensive solidity, which has seen them concede just five goals in 12 Champions League matches this season.
Official Lineups
Barcelona: Szczęsny, Koundé, Cubarsí, Martínez, Martín, De Jong, Pedri, Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha, Torres
Inter: Sommer, Dumfries, Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni, Di Marco, Çalhanoğlu, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Thuram, Martínez
Live Coverage
Minute 1: GOAL!!! Inter scores… What a goal! Inter starts aggressively and Marcus Thuram finishes Denzel Dumfries’ cross from the right with a spectacular backheel.
Minute 0: The match begins with French referee Clément Turpin’s whistle.
The match begins with a minute of silence in honor of Pope Francis.
Reports suggested Lamine Yamal was injured in training and would miss the match, but it’s confirmed he’s in the starting lineup and fit to play.
Raphinha, Barcelona’s top scorer in this Champions League campaign with 12 goals, prepares for one of the most important matches of his career.
Inter fans who traveled to Montjuïc Stadium to support their team against one of Europe’s best teams this season.
An interesting image of Jules Koundé with Barcelona’s mascot.
30 minutes before kickoff, Lautaro Martínez and Federico Dimarco on the Montjuïc pitch.
Inter’s dressing room ready for the match. They hope to keep their chances alive for at least one trophy this season by reaching the final.
The home team’s dressing room before the crucial match against Nerazzurri.
