Inter and Barça will play the second leg of the Champions League semifinals this Tuesday, a match that will start at 9:00 PM. The match will be held at Giuseppe Meazza, with a capacity for more than 80,000 spectators and it is expected that 5,000 Barça fans will attend. It can be watched on Movistar Liga de Campeones and the minute-by-minute through our social media @carpetasfcb
The main referee will be Szymon Marcianak and he will be accompanied in the VAR by the Dutchman Dennis Higler. The record he has with Barça is 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses; interestingly, the last one was also an Inter-Barça that ended like the first leg (3-3). The Pole officiated the second leg of the Real Madrid - Atleti quarterfinals.
How Inter Milan Arrives
The 'Nerazzurri' arrive at this Champions League second leg after winning their last Serie A match 1-0 with a team full of substitutes. They already showed that they can hurt their opponent with very little, as they only needed 3 shots on target to score 3 goals, thus showing great efficiency. At home, they have only lost two matches in the domestic championship, scoring 38 goals and conceding only 19.
Inzaghi, in the pre-match press conference, acknowledges that Lamine is special and that they will have to make a strong defensive effort to stop him. He took the opportunity to praise, once again, the work of Flick, whom he admires as a coach and for what he has achieved. Finally, he was asked about that final they lost, but he avoided talking about it and wanted to focus on the current match.
Regarding the starting eleven, the two big doubts are Pavard and Lautaro, although it seems that only the Argentine will be able to play. The French center-back has relapsed from his ailment and has not been able to recover in time, so Bisseck will remain in the center. Up front will be Lautaro, who seemed unlikely to make it, but will finally be able to pair with Thuram.
How Barça Arrives
The blaugrana team has a great opportunity to return to a Champions League final, the last one was in 2015 and they won it after defeating Juventus 3-1. Few people expected this new project to be in this position, leading the league with a four-point advantage and being the champion of the Cup and Super Cup. Lamine will be important, however, Raphinha seems to have a special relationship with this Champions League (12 goals and 8 assists)
Hans Flick has pointed out in a press conference that he wants his team to enjoy, to make the fans enjoy, and to keep playing as they know. He also clarifies that it will be necessary to improve in defense and that they will change some things compared to the first leg.
The German coach has not wanted to give too many clues about the starting eleven he will field, although he has ruled out Lewandowski as a starter. He has talked about changes, so it would be likely that Íñigo will play on the left side and Eric García on the right, replacing Kounde. The midfield and attack lines will not undergo changes compared to the 3-3 at Montjuïc, although it is true that Fermín could start.
Match Keys
Calhanoglu and Set Pieces: two of the three goals that Inter scored came from a corner, all taken by the Turk. The former Milan player is in charge of taking all set pieces, totaling six assists and 10 goals in total. But, he is not only good at corners or free kicks, he is also a great launcher to organize counterattacks.
Blocking the Lanes: Dumfries became a nightmare for the Barça defense. The Dutchman created many attacking chances, scored two goals, and constantly broke into space, creating advantages for his team. First Gerard Martín and then Íñigo tried to stop him, while on the other side Di Marco could not appear in attack due to the defensive work he had.
Emotions: the emotional factor plays a very important role in matches like this Tuesday's. After years of falls and suffering, Barça has returned to compete in the Champions League, regaining the prestige they have been losing in recent times. The players and Flick have created an almost perfect symbiosis, which is reflected on the field, that risky style in which everyone goes as one.
