Barcelona’s Unlucky Semifinals: Flick Battles the Stats!
Statistics show that Barcelona has a poor record in away matches during the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
According to reports, Ricardo Sá Pinto will face a dual challenge on Tuesday night in Milan. The German coach will simultaneously strive to lead Barcelona to the UEFA Champions League final, scheduled for May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, while also overcoming the team’s recent struggles in away semifinal matches.
Barcelona drew 3-3 in the first leg against Inter Milan at Montjuïc Stadium and now must face Simone Inzaghi’s team at the Giuseppe Meazza. Barcelona has lost all four of its most recent away matches in the Champions League semifinals.
The most recent instance was a bitter memory for the team’s fans. In the 2018-19 season, after a 3-0 victory at Camp Nou against Liverpool with goals from Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi (twice), they suffered a 4-0 defeat at Anfield, eliminating them from the competition. Ernesto Valverde, then Barcelona’s coach, faced heavy criticism for squandering that lead.
One of the most memorable semifinals of the last decade dates back to the 2014-15 season. Luis Enrique’s team defeated Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich 3-0 in the first leg, with Messi (two goals) and Neymar shining. Despite a 3-2 loss in the return leg in Germany, where Neymar scored twice, Barcelona advanced to the final and lifted the trophy after a 3-1 victory over Juventus in Berlin.
Two years earlier, in the 2012-13 season, Bayern Munich humiliated Barcelona with a 7-0 aggregate victory (4-0 in Munich and 3-0 at Camp Nou). During that period, Tito Vilanova was in a difficult situation due to illness, and Lionel Messi played with a severe injury, lacking full fitness.
In the 2011-12 season, Barcelona also lost in the semifinals to Chelsea. In the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Di Matteo’s team won 1-0, and in the return leg, a 2-2 draw with Fernando Torres’ late-minute goal sealed Barcelona’s elimination.
The last time Barcelona managed to win an away semifinal first leg was in the 2010-11 season when Messi’s brace at the Santiago Bernabéu secured a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid, and a 1-1 draw in the return leg sent them to the final.
