Barcelona’s wait since 2015 meets Inter Milan’s unfinished story | OneFootball

Barcelona and Inter Milan meet this Tuesday in San Siro with a common goal: reaching the Champions League final. The 3-3 tie in the first leg left everything on the line for the Italian game, and the environment only adds to the stakes. Barça have not reached a final since 2015. Inter went to it in the season 2022/23. Both teams share their desperation, their weaknesses, and their strengths. All indications point to yet another humongous game to unfold, perhaps the season's biggest for both.

Big clubs need big stages

Barcelona are seeking to return to a Champions League final almost a decade later. Ever since the 2014/15 season, when Messi, Neymar, and Suárez enchanted Europe, the Catalan giants have been piling up disappointments in the competition. Now, with Hansi Flick's side, they get their chance to rewrite that script. They've already won the Copa del Rey and they're leading LaLiga. But it's the Champions League that could make the season something special with a treble. The twist is that there is no magic trinity this season. What they have in their place is an even squad, young, and competitive, talent spread around and an ensemble which has learned how to endure.

Robert Lewandowski | Fran Santiago/GettyImages

During the first leg, Barcelona struggled twice to turn around and for a 3-3 tie with all. The game-changers were Raphinha and Yamal. Lewandowski, though injured, was not on the pitch, but he is eligible to play in Milan. At 36, the Polish striker is the team's leading scorer this season, with 40 goals tallied, along with three assists. In his third season at the Spanish club, he's playing his best moment. And he might be exactly what was missing in the first leg: a finisher for decisive moments.

Inter arrives battle-tested and with something to settle

On the other side, Inter wants to repeat the path to the final, like in 2022/23, but with a different ending. The loss to Guardiola's Manchester City still hurts. Simone Inzaghi’s team has identity, collective strength, and knows how to face big matches. That's how they got here, even without the same media fanfare as the opponent. And they have enough class to meet on equal terms. To boot, they can be a tough opponent, as we saw in the first match.

The issue is the lack of Lautaro Martínez. The Argentine got injured with a thigh strain and won't probably return in time. Without their main man, Inter lacks a crucial piece for the selection. It will be the coach's job to compensate. Not an easy one, given a determined Barcelona.

FC Barcelona v FC Internazionale Milano - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg | Image Photo Agency/GettyImages

History has its say and balance defines the meeting

This will be the 18th meeting in a major European competition between Inter and Barcelona. Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, Real Madrid vs. Juventus, and Real Madrid vs. Inter are the only three pairings that have been played more than this many times. Each of their last two meetings against one another was 3-3, in the October 2022 Champions League match and in the first leg of this semifinal.

Barcelona have won just one of their six away games in the UEFA Champions League against Inter (three draws and two losses), 2-1 in December 2019. Overall, Barcelona have won just five of their 24 away games in Italy (21%), the lowest win rate among all the non-Spanish nations they've played in the competition.

Inter gets that. And they know how to take advantage of the surroundings. San Siro must be packed, with pressure from the beginning. Barcelona will need personality, balance, and maturity to be able to handle the game. Especially after having conceded three goals at home. The defense must be more solid, and the midfield must perform better in defense.

But Barcelona heads into the second leg with the Champions League's top-scoring attack: 40 goals to date. It's the most by a side in a campaign since Bayern Munich in 2019/20 (43). Only Barcelona themselves in 1999/2000 (45), Real Madrid in 2013/14 (41), and Liverpool in 2017/18 have previously scored more than 40 goals in a season.