Maybe tonight in this Catalan night there won’t be the magic of Lionel Messi, or Ronaldo Nazario — who, in his short but brilliant career, united two sides that will be fierce enemies this evening. But what there will be is dangerous football, to the delight of fans across the globe. Barcelona, currently riding a wave of inspiration and mechanically fine-tuned, boasts a coach who has managed to resurrect Szczesny’s career in goal, throw young revelation Cubarsí into the fire, revive the careers of Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha, tactically discipline Jules Kounde, and sharpen the attacking instincts of Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres. This team can do a lot. On the verge of a new La Liga title and already crowned Copa del Rey champions, fresh off a thrilling extra-time victory over Real Madrid in a chaotic clash full of drama, they now face an Inter side that has limped into the Catalan harbor with three unexpected losses in two weeks — to Bologna, Milan, and Roma — while also fighting Napoli for the Scudetto.Tonight’s match between Barcelona & Inter is going to be fascinating on a tactical level. 🇪🇺🍿 pic.twitter.com/DWDNTQnMtv— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 30, 2025 The Champions League is ruthless. It demands everything, showing no mercy for domestic commitments. Tonight, there’s only one battle — to stamp the first visa toward Munich and the final at the Allianz Arena on May 31. It won’t be easy for Barcelona, no matter how ready they seem for another great victory — even mighty Bayern broke their teeth on Inter. The Nerazzurri’s two swift goals in their quarterfinal clash at the Allianz paralyzed the German machine, which never recovered on Italian soil. Barcelona will certainly be more cautious. Hansi Flick won’t allow himself to fall into the same trap his former club did.Why is Inter falling apart?For someone, this 13th clash between the two clubs may prove unlucky. In their previous 12 meetings, Barcelona won six, Inter two, and four ended in draws. Most of those were in the group stage, but Inter will no doubt draw inspiration from the 2009/10 season, when, led by Jose Mourinho, they won the first leg 3–1 and lost the return 1–0 but still reached the final — where they claimed their most recent European title. They had another shot two years ago but fell to Manchester City (1–0). The real question is whether Simone Inzaghi can lead them to another final.Time for shameless King to cry, Barca stole the crownThey say that in moments like this, not just inspiration and strength on the pitch matter — but also emotions and a cool head. The question is: which will prevail? According to Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, the emotional factor will be key.“When you beat Real Madrid in a final, of course it’s about emotional control, but now we have the chance to be in the Champions League final — the most important final on the calendar. It’s a dream come true for everyone. That win against Real was a real boost for us. Everyone is focused. We had a meeting where we discussed what needs to improve and how to face Inter. We need to be at our best” Flick stated clearly.Wolf dealt Inter a fatal blow and brought Napoli close to ScudettoBarcelona’s attack, against Inter’s solid wall: one side has already scored 37 goals in the Champions League, the other has conceded just five. A complete contrast — but Inter has that chameleon-like nature, looking defensive, then suddenly transforming. If they didn’t have that hidden killer instinct, they wouldn’t be fighting for trophies now.“They’re a tough opponent, maybe with the best defenders in Europe. They operate well in midfield and have two dangerous strikers. They’re excellent in transition, so we need to be very prepared, manage possession carefully, and avoid mistakes” explained Flick, showing he’s done his homework on the opponent.##EDITORS_CHOICE##For a club like Barcelona, a decade without a Champions League final feels like a lot — at least by the standards set during the Messi era. It may sound unbelievable, but the Catalans last played for the big trophy in the 2014/15 season, when they defeated Juventus 3–1 in the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Lamine Yamal was just a kid back then, in nearby Mataro, a small town about 20 kilometers northeast along the coast from Barcelona. He was only seven years old at the time — tonight, he has the chance to do something unforgettable in his 100th appearance for Barcelona.Barcelona are the 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗦 to beat Inter and reach the UCL final, according to @OptaAnalyst 📊🔢 pic.twitter.com/JYhctZu0IJ— 433 (@433) April 30, 2025 Hansi Flick gave him the opportunity to appear before the press and speak his mind. The German coach knows that Yamal already symbolizes fearlessness and doesn’t shy away from playing in big matches.”I’ve never been afraid in Barcelona. I left that fear behind in the park in Mataro, a long time ago. I wouldn’t call it pressure. The atmosphere in the cup final was such that you walk out and face two groups of fans. I see it as a new experience — one I want to feel again. I give everything I have, and that’s it. Now I’m playing in my first Champions League semifinal, and we’re excited to show what we’ve got. It won’t be easy, because Inter has a great team” Yamal said.Regragui reveals talks with Yamal over Morocco roleHe admits that fatigue was felt in the legs of many players during the match against Real, but the heart was stronger. Some say he sometimes talks too boldly for such a young player — but he doesn’t pay attention to that.”In football, age doesn’t matter — this team proves it. It’s about quality, about whether you’re ready or not. Age is just a number. At my age, few players manage to reach that number at such a big club. Not everyone has the consistency and mental strength that I have — that’s what I value most” Lamine said.🇮🇹✅ Fabio Capello says he’d choose Inter’s midfield over Barcelona’s… 🔵⚫️”The Barcelona midfield are very good at transforming defence to attack.””But, if I had to choose, I’d keep the Inter midfield. Few teams in Europe can boast such a well-organised department.” (GDS) pic.twitter.com/Fkugaq3bY2— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 30, 2025 Many see a reflection of Leo Messi in him — or at least often draw comparisons, which is normal.”I don’t compare myself to anyone, especially not to Messi! It makes no sense to compare myself to him. I admire him as the best player in history, but I want to follow my own path. It won’t be the Lamine Yamal era, but the Barcelona era. We come from La Masia, we feel passion for this jersey, and we want Barça to win. Raphinha recently gave me some personal advice that helped me a lot. It’s very important to have veterans, captains like him” added Yamal.300 milions for Barca’s superstar!If there’s someone capable of seriously hurting Barcelona’s defense, it’s definitely Lautaro Martínez. An interesting fact: he scored Inter’s last two goals against Barcelona — though those were at Camp Nou, and tonight’s match is at the Olympic Stadium “Lluís Companys.” Inter enters the clash wounded, but must not be underestimated because of that.”We want to redeem ourselves. We should never lack determination, just like Inter in 2010 who eliminated Barcelona in the semifinals. We’re ready to play a game of strong character. Need I remind you we’ve been to the semifinals twice in recent years? We know exactly how dangerous Barcelona’s attack is — that’s why we’ll need to be solid defensively. We’ve already done that against strong teams. The dream for all of us and our fans is to play in the final” Lautaro said.Do you remember Barca’s Victor Valdes? He’s back in football!Marcus Thuram isn’t the only player sidelined in Inter’s squad. The good news for Inzaghi is the return of Piotr Zielinski and Denzel Dumfries. However, in the match against Roma, Benjamin Pavard picked up an injury — after just 15 minutes on the pitch, he injured his ankle and won’t be able to play, just like midfielder Valentín Carboni, who was already out. As for Barcelona, they’re missing their top striker, Robert Lewandowski — a huge gap that’s hard to fill. The Pole is still struggling with a hamstring injury, and Marc Bernal and Marc Casado are also unavailable. Hansi Flick will have to be cautious with Alejandro Balde, who also had hamstring issues. Gerard Martín is ready to step in at left-back if needed. The Barça coach confirmed that Szczesny will start in goal tonight, and the good news is that Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Ferran Torres — who had some issues during the match against Real — have recovered and are ready to play tonight.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – SEMI-FINALSFirst legTuesdayArsenal – PSG 0-1 (0-1)/Dembele 4/Wednesday22:00: (1.65) Barcelona (4.30) Inter (5.20)***odds are subject to change***
