Wednesday night will witness a heavyweight battle at Montjuïc as Barcelona welcome Inter Milan for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final. It’s a showdown between the tournament’s most lethal attack and its most resolute defense.
Barcelona vs Inter Milan preview
Fixture: Barcelona vs Inter Milan
Competition: UEFA Champions League Semi-Final (First Leg)
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Kick-off Time: 8:00 PM BST / 9:00 PM CET
Venue: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona
Barcelona are flying high, fresh from their Copa del Rey triumph over Real Madrid on Saturday. Having already lifted two trophies this season, the Catalans now set their sights on an unprecedented quadruple, with a four-point cushion at the top of LaLiga and a place in the Champions League final within reach. Hansi Flick’s side have been dominant at home in Europe this season, winning five and drawing one of their six games, while netting an impressive 21 goals.
Inter, meanwhile, are enduring a wobble at the worst possible moment. They squandered their three-point lead in Serie A after a 1-0 away defeat to Bologna, followed by another 1-0 loss at home to Roma. With Napoli now level on points—and holding a game in hand—the Nerazzurri’s title hopes hang by a thread. They have also crashed out of the Coppa Italia against AC Milan, ending any hopes of a treble that seemed within grasp just a week ago.
Historically, Barcelona have had the upper hand in this fixture, winning 5, drawing 3, and losing just 2 of their previous 10 Champions League meetings against Inter. However, the memory of their last semi-final clash in 2009-10 still lingers, when José Mourinho’s Inter knocked out the then defending champions 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final.
Barcelona vs Inter team news
Barcelona will be without Casadó, Lewandowski, Balde, and Bernal. Inter Milan are missing Thuram and Carvoni.
Barcelona vs Inter predicted lineup
Barcelona (4-2-3-1):
Szczesny; Koundé, Cubarsí, Martínez, Martín; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Torres
Inter Milan (3-5-2):
Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Augusto; Lautaro Martínez, Taremi
Barcelona vs Inter prediction
Statistically, Barcelona have averaged a remarkable 3.1 goals per game in the Champions League under Flick, with Raphinha and Lewandowski leading the scoring charts with 12 and 11 goals respectively. Inter, for their part, are chasing history: With just six goals conceded in 12 matches and 8 clean sheet, one more clean sheet would equal the record for the most shutouts by an Italian side in a single Champions League campaign.
Predicted Score: Barcelona 3 – 1 Inter Milan
