Two giants of European soccer, Barcelona and Inter Milan, face off in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie this week.
Barcelona are on a real high
Barcelona go into this game on the back of defeating rivals Real Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey last weekend. The match was marred by controversy regarding Los Blancos' stance on the match officials. In the end, the referee brandished three red cards to Real as Barca won 3-2.
Hansi Flick's side is also top of La Liga by four points, so Barca could be in line for a quadruple as they have also won the Supercopa this campaign. This would be some first campaign for the first German coach in Barca's history.
Inter Milan has not been so fortuitous recently
Last week, Inter Milan were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by their city rivals, AC Milan. They then suffered a 1-0 defeat to AS Roma in Serie A. This means that Napoli are now three points clear of Inter at the top of the division.
Inter have now lost back-to-back Serie A matches, as they lost to Bologna in the previous matchweek. It appears that the wheels have come off the Nerazzurri's title defence. However, the Champions League is still an opportunity for Simone Inzaghi's side to claim silverware this season.
Team news and predicted lineups
Flick will likely field a similar lineup to the one that defeated Real Madrid last Saturday. Possibly Ronald Araujo and Gavi could start after impressing off the bench in the final.
Barcelona predicted lineup: Szczesny, Kounde, Martinez, Araujo, Martin, Gavi, Pedri, Yamal, Torres, Raphinha, Olmo
Inzaghi will make changes to his side, which is on the back of three straight defeats in all competitions. Benjamin Pavard could miss out due to injury. However, Marcus Thuram is set to come back into the lineup.
Inter Milan predicted lineup: Sommer, Bisseck, Acerbi, Augusto, Darmian, Fratessi, Barella, Calhanoglu, Dimarco, Thuram, Martinez
Historical context and prediction
Barcelona has the better record against Inter Milan, winning eight times, drawing five and losing just three of their meetings. They last met at the semi-final stages back in 2010, when Jose Mourinho's Inter beat Pep Guardiola's Barca 3-2 on aggregate. However, given the form of both sides and Barcelona are at home this Wednesday, the Spanish side should win 2-0.
How to watch Barcelona vs Inter Milan
Barca will take on Inter at 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 30. The match can be streamed on Paramount+.