Hot on the heels of the Copa del Rey final, another blockbuster date is upon. It’s almost time for the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals — and what a clash we’ve got. Barça vs Inter. A showdown of polar opposites, with the tournament’s most lethal attack going head-to-head with its meanest defence.
Tighter than tight
All signs point to a razor-tight semi-final. Both teams have played 12 matches in this Champions League campaign, and both have chalked up nine wins. Of the remaining games, Barça have drawn one and lost two, while Inter have one more draw and one less defeat — just enough to tilt the stats ever so slightly in their favour.
It’s a true clash of styles: free-scoring Barça against the defensive wall of Inter. The Catalans are the runaway top scorers in the competition. Flick’s men have racked up a staggering 37 goals in 12 matches, a jaw-dropping average of 3.08 goals per game. That’s six more than both Dortmund and Bayern, who are tied in second place with 31 goals… and both German sides already out of the tournament.
But that doesn't mean we should expect a walkover. Inter boast the tightest defence in the Champions League. In their 12 matches, they’ve conceded just five goals — a number that screams discipline, organisation, and rock-solid back-line resilience.
Raphinha and Lautaro, the goal-getters
Each side has strikes who have hit the form of their lives. For Barça, it’s Raphinha; for Inter, it’s Lautaro Martínez. The Argentine has bagged eight goals in 11 appearances, averaging one every 81.58 minutes.
Contrasting momentum
The semi-final couldn’t come at a better time for Barça. Fresh off lifting their second trophy of the season, confidence is sky-high in the blaugrana camp.
Over in Milan, the mood is more sombre. A bruising 3-0 defeat in the return leg of the Coppa Italia semis has cast a shadow over their week. It’s a dip in form that contrasts sharply with Barça’s buzz — but as the cliche goes, the form goes flying out of the window when it comes to Champions League semi-finals!