Inter Milan vs Barcelona preview, H2H, team news, line-ups, and prediction

Inter Milan will aim to reach their fourth-ever Champions League final when they host a free-scoring Barcelona side in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final clash at San Siro.

Inter and Barcelona boast a combined eight Champions League titles and 14 appearances in the final, but only one can move a step closer to lifting the trophy in Munich.

Their pulsating 3-3 draw in Spain last week already ranks among the modern classics. Marcus Thuram opened the scoring 30 seconds in—recording the fastest semi-final goal in the competition’s history.

Denzel Dumfries, who had scored only once in his previous 39 Champions League appearances, remarkably struck twice between Lamine Yamal’s brilliant reply before Ferran Torres and Raphinha responded to keep Barcelona alive.

Although Inter squandered a two-goal cushion, they left the first leg satisfied, knowing the return leg in Milan offered them a significant advantage.

The Nerazzurri are now unbeaten in 15 consecutive Champions League home games—their longest such streak in Europe since the 1980s—and have emerged victorious in nine of their last 11 semi-final fixtures at San Siro in continental competition.

Remarkably, they netted three goals in the opening leg against Barcelona without Lautaro Martínez playing a direct role. Marcus Thuram opened the scoring inside the first minute before Denzel Dumfries added a brace. Should either man find the net on Tuesday, they would become the first Inter players to score in both legs of a European Cup semi-final since Giacinto Facchetti did so in 1966-67.

Simone Inzaghi’s men had conceded only five goals. They recorded eight clean sheets before the semi-finals—matching Barcelona’s 19 group-stage points, dispatching Feyenoord in the round of 16 and knocking out Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals—yet struggled to contain the Catalans’ firepower in the thrilling first leg.

Memories of their last triumph over Barcelona in the Champions League semis—under José Mourinho in 2010—still linger. That experienced Inter squad edged a 3-2 aggregate win before going on to beat Bayern in the final.

Inzaghi’s current side shares a similarly seasoned core. While their form has wobbled recently, their home record remains imposing: 12 wins in their last 15 Champions League games at San Siro. Another success could see them return to the final, where Arsenal or PSG await, and fans are ready to buy their Champions League final tickets if the Italians can get the job done on Tuesday.

However, their preparation hasn’t been ideal. Though they scraped a 1-0 win over Hellas Verona at the weekend to snap a five-match winless run, the defending Serie A champions still sit behind Napoli in a tightly contested title race.

Though Inter’s treble ambitions were crushed by their Coppa Italia defeat to AC Milan last month, Barcelona remain in contention for a trophy treble—adding their Copa del Rey victory over Real Madrid to January’s Spanish Super Cup success.

With only four La Liga fixtures remaining, the Blaugrana are also edging Los Blancos in the title race following a 2-1 win over bottom-placed Real Valladolid on Saturday.

The Catalan giants have now recorded 24 wins in their last 30 outings—only losing once, to Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League quarter-final second leg where the tie was effectively sealed—and their rapid attacking unit continues to unsettle defences across Europe.

Hansi Flick’s side have struck 40 goals in this season’s competition, edging closer to their club record of 45 goals set in 1999-2000. Under Flick’s guidance—he himself a Champions League winner with Bayern—they aim to reach their first final since lifting their fifth European crown in 2015.

However, the historical backdrop to the return leg is far less encouraging. The Blaugrana have lost each of their last four Champions League semi-final away games and have picked up just two wins in 13 away ties at this stage, losing 11.

Their record in Italy further dampens expectations—Barcelona have only managed five wins in 24 Champions League visits to Serie A sides while claiming victory just once in six previous trips to face Inter at San Siro.

Inter Milan vs Barcelona match details

• Date: Tuesday, 6th May, 2025
• Location: Milan, Italy
• Venue: San Siro
• Kick-off time: 08:00 PM GMT, 07:00 UTC, 09:00 PM CEST
• Referee: Szymon Marciniak
• Assistant referees: Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik
• VAR: Dennis Higler
• Tickets: Champions League tickets can be bought from the clubs or through a reputable online reseller

Match stats and head-to-head

• Inter aim to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League final for the third time, having previously reached the showpiece in 2010 and 2023, while a win would take Barcelona into their sixth final following appearances in 1994, 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015.

• The clash marks the 18th time Inter Milan and Barcelona will meet in European competition, placing it behind only Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid (28), Juventus vs Real Madrid (21), and Inter vs Real Madrid (19) for the most played significant European ties. Their last two encounters ended in 3-3 draws, in October 2022 and last week’s opening leg.

• Barça’s only win away to Inter in the Champions League came in December 2019, with the overall away record in Italy reading just five wins from 24 fixtures – their poorest return in any foreign nation in this competition.

• Following his sensational goal in the previous meeting, Lamine Yamal has now netted five Champions League goals this season, trailing only Erling Haaland (10 in 2019–20), Kylian Mbappé (six in 2016–17), and Raúl (six in 1995–96) for most goals in a single campaign by a teenager.

• Raphinha’s influence has been immense – he has contributed to 20 goals so far, and only Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally in 2013–14 (17 goals, four assists) stands above his in a single season.

• Barcelona’s attacking output has reached 40 goals this season in the Champions League, leaving them just five goals away from matching the record of 45 goals – a milestone they set during the 1999–2000 edition.

• After finding the net in the reverse leg, Denzel Dumfries and Marcus Thuram have the chance to become the first Inter players since Giacinto Facchetti in the 1966–67 campaign to score in both legs of a European Cup semi-final.

• Inter are on a 15-match unbeaten streak in the Champions League at home – their best such run in European competition since the 1980s – and have triumphed in nine of their last 11 semi-final ties held at the San Siro.

• Pedri has successfully completed 721 passes in this season’s UEFA Champions League – the highest tally by a Spanish midfielder at Barcelona in a single campaign since Sergio Busquets recorded 903 in the 2018–19 season. He has also delivered 18 line-breaking passes that directly led to a shot, more than any other player in the competition.

• Barcelona’s current Champions League tally of 40 goals is the highest by any team in a single edition of the competition since Bayern Munich’s 43-goal haul in the 2019–20 season. The only other clubs to surpass 40 goals in one campaign are Barcelona in 1999–2000 (45), Real Madrid in 2013–14 (41), and Liverpool in 2017–18 (41).

• Inter are on the verge of reaching their third Champions League final – having previously done so in 2010 and 2023. In contrast, a victory would take Barcelona to their sixth final appearance (1994, 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015), drawing them level with Juventus, Milan, and Bayern Munich and trailing only Real Madrid with nine.

Team news

Inter are expected to be without their leading scorer, Lautaro Martinez, for the return leg after the Argentine sustained a hamstring issue in the first leg. This could potentially pave the way for either Mehdi Taremi or Marko Arnautovic to step up front. Meanwhile, French centre-back Benjamin Pavard is also sidelined, joining Martinez on the injury list.

However, Simone Inzaghi can call on midfield orchestrator Hakan Calhanoglu, who was suspended for Saturday’s Serie A fixture against Verona—a match that saw the coach heavily rotate his lineup.

Kristjan Asllani’s early penalty earned a morale-boosting win that halted Inter’s recent slump. Still, key figures such as Denzel Dumfries, Marcus Thuram, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer are all set to return for this crunch European tie.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick likewise shuffled his deck at the weekend in light of this vital second leg and an imminent El Clasico. Among the changes, Marc-André ter Stegen featured from the start for the first time since recovering from a lengthy injury absence.

Regulars, including Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pau Cubarsi, are expected to return at San Siro, but right-back Jules Kounde remains unavailable due to injury.

On a more positive note for the Catalan giants, Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde are nearing fitness and may be named among the substitutes.

Predicted starting lineup

Inter Milan predicted starting lineup:

Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Arnautovic, Thuram

Barcelona predicted starting lineup:

Szczesny; Garcia, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martinez; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Torres

Prediction

Although the opening leg featured a six-goal spectacle, Inter have been far more disciplined on home soil in the Champions League this season—having allowed just three goals in six matches at San Siro.

Both clubs clarified their priorities at the weekend, opting to rest most of their key players in domestic league action. Despite close title races, only three players from last week’s starting elevens featured from the outset—Pedri and Gerard Martín for Barcelona and Inter’s Yann Bisseck.

Given Inter’s defensive solidity at home in this competition — with their last defeat dating back to 2022 — Barcelona will need standout performances from players like Lamine Yamal and Raphinha to break through Inzaghi’s experienced, disciplined, and resilient side, who also pose a real threat going forward.

We’re predicting a 2-1 win for Barcelona.