INTER MILAN and Barcelona clash in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final showdown at the San Siro tonight.
Inter Milan vs Barcelona preview
The stage is set for a mouthwatering clash in Milan as heavyweights Inter and Barcelona face off with a place in the Champions League final on the line.
The first leg delivered a six-goal thriller at the Nou Camp, ending 3-3 in a breathless encounter that lived up to the billing.
While the pre-match narrative centred around Barcelona, it was Inter who stunned the Catalans early, racing into a 2-0 lead inside 21 minutes.
Lamine Yamal produced a dazzling solo effort to haul Barca back into the contest before Ferran Torres levelled just before the break. Denzel Dumfries restored Inter’s advantage after the interval, only for Raphinha’s thunderous strike to cannon off the bar and rebound in off goalkeeper Yann Sommer to complete the drama.
That result leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of tonight’s decisive second leg at San Siro.
Barcelona may rue the defensive lapses that saw them concede three times at home, but belief remains strong. Hansi Flick’s men have already secured the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey, and hold a four-point lead in La Liga with four games remaining â keeping their hopes of an historic quadruple alive.
Should they progress, it would mark the Catalan club’s sixth appearance in a Champions League final. They will take confidence from their attacking form, having netted a tournament-high 40 goals so far this season.
However, there are reasons to be fearful.
Barcelona have won just one of their six Champions League visits to Inter, and their overall record on Italian soil is poor â just five wins in 24 matches, their lowest win rate in any non-Spanish nation in the competition.
Inter, chasing a third Champions League final appearance, will hope to make home advantage count. The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last 15 Champions League games at San Siro (W12 D3).
However, Simone Inzaghi’s side have struggled for form of late, managing just one win in their last six outings in all competitions â though that victory came in their most recent match, a 1-0 win over Verona to keep their domestic title hopes alive.
- Inter Milan 17/10 with William Hill â CLAIM HERE
- Draw 13/5 with Betfred â CLAIM HERE
- Barcelona 10/7 with BetMGM â CLAIM HERE
Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.
Yamal
You would have to be brave to back against teenager Lamine Yamal having another massive impact on tonight’s encounter.
The Barcelona prodigy, 17, has lit up Europe this season with five Champions League goals â a tally bettered by only Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Raul among teenagers in a single campaign.
Across all competitions, Yamal has racked up 15 goals and 24 assists in 50 appearances, including his crucial strike in last week’s first leg. According to Opta, his 44 shots, 19 on target, and 78 dribbles are the highest recorded by a teenager in a season since records began in 2003-04.
- Lamine Yamal to score or assist at 11/10 with William Hill â CLAIM HERE
Raphinha
Raphinha has been nothing short of electric in this season’s Champions League, directly involved in 20 goals (12 goals, 8 assists) â a feat bettered only by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013-14 (17 goals, 4 assists).
In fact, only Luis Figo has ever managed more assists (9) in a single season in the competition.
So it’s no surprise, then, that the Brazilian is firmly in the Ballon d’Or conversation. Across all competitions, Raphinha has racked up a stunning 31 goals and 25 assists in just 52 appearances. We’re backing him to provide an assist tonight at 9/4 with William Hill.
- Raphinha to provide an assist at 9/4 with William Hill â CLAIM HERE
