"Barcelona and Inter Milan Renew Rivalry in High-Stakes Champions League Semi-Final: Can the Catalans Overcome Their Italian Nemesis?"

" Barcelona and Inter Milan Renew Rivalry in High-Stakes Champions League Semi-Final: Can the Catalans Overcome Their Italian Nemesis? \r\n\r\nFifteen years on from their last clash in the Champions League semi-finals, Barcelona and Inter Milan convene for another last-four tie, with Montjuic playing host to Wednesday's first leg.\r\n\r\nInter prevailed back in 2010, but Barca now aim to eliminate their Italian rivals and meet either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in next month's decider.\r\n\r\nHaving made it through to the semis with apparent ease, Barcelona are now bidding to reach the Champions League final for the first time since claiming their fifth European Cup in 2015.\r\n\r\nBarca's bitter rivals Real Madrid have subsequently claimed the continent's top trophy five times, but the reigning champions are now out of this season's competition while the Blaugrana's fearless young squad are still standing.\r\n\r\nIn their first European campaign under German boss Hansi Flick, they have scored at a rate of 3.1 goals per game - only Flick's former Bayern Munich side (3.2) has ever averaged more - finishing second behind Liverpool in the new league phase before beating Benfica in the last 16.\r\n\r\nThen, following a decisive 4-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals - a stage where they had lost on five of their last six attempts to progress - they eased off in Germany and suffered a 3-1 defeat, still cruising through to the final four.\r\n\r\nEn route, the Catalan club have won five and drawn one of their six home matches while racking up 21 goals, and Flick's free-scoring team notched three more in Seville on Saturday evening, as they came out on top in a typically dramatic 'El Clasico' edition of the Copa del Rey final.\r\n\r\nAfter 116 minutes, an extra-time strike from Jules Kounde split the sides in a five-goal thriller against Real Madrid, securing a record 32nd domestic cup triumph for Barcelona.\r\n\r\nAlso four points clear of Los Blancos at the top of La Liga, Barca have now won 23 of their last 28 games - only losing to Dortmund - but they could do with further extending that trend on Wednesday when they seek a vital first-leg lead: Inter are unbeaten in their last 15 Champions League home fixtures.\r\n\r\nFurthermore, the Spanish side were winless in the teams' two most recent meetings - during the 2022-23 group stage - and also lost their last semi-final showdown.\r\n\r\nBarcelona may have had the better of the clubs' 12 Champions League clashes overall, winning half, but Inter memorably won the most important so far: Jose Mourinho's experienced squad beat Barca 3-2 on aggregate before tasting glory in the 2010 final.\r\n\r\nEuropean champions for a third time that year, the Milan giants were runners-up to Manchester City in 2023, but they are now intent on going one step further.\r\n\r\nAfter matching Barcelona's 19 points in this season's league phase, Inter then defeated Feyenoord home and away in the last 16, before ending Bayern Munich's hopes of reaching a continental final in their own stadium.\r\n\r\nDavide Frattesi's late winner in Bavaria set up a tense second leg at San Siro, where the Nerazzurri held out for a 2-2 draw and edged through a close-fought quarter-final.\r\n\r\nNotoriously tough to beat, Simone Inzaghi's side have suffered just two defeats in their last 20 Champions League matches, and Inter's coach now takes charge of his 50th game in UEFA's top competition, becoming the seventh Italian to reach that milestone - none of the others can match his record of 26 wins.\r\n\r\nWhile Inzaghi's well-drilled team have scored 19 goals in this term's campaign, compared to Barca's 37, it is their defensive grit that makes them such formidable opponents: so far, they have conceded just five times and kept eight clean sheets.\r\n\r\nHowever, recent results suggest that tired legs and minds could cost them on Wednesday: Inter lost 3-0 to old foes AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals last week - making it five games without beating the Rossoneri this season - and have suffered costly back-to-back defeats in Serie A.\r\n\r\nHaving been stunned by a last-gasp goal in Bologna - abruptly ending their 13-game unbeaten streak - before exiting the cup to Milan a few days later, Sunday's top-flight fixture brought a third straight loss without scoring.\r\n\r\nIndeed, a 1-0 home defeat to Roma left the Nerazzurri three points behind new league leaders Napoli with four games remaining, casting doubt over whether they can successfully defend the Scudetto.\r\n\r\nBefore returning to that task against Hellas Verona this weekend, Inter must first try to rediscover their resilience and keep Barca's brilliant attack at arm's length.\r\n\r\n Barcelona Champions League form: \r\n WDWWWL \r\n Barcelona form (all competitions): \r\n WWLWWW \r\n Inter Milan Champions League form: \r\n WWWWWD \r\n Inter Milan form (all competitions): \r\n WWDLLL \r\n\r\n Team News \r\nStill without star striker Robert Lewandowski, who suffered a hamstring injury earlier this month and may also miss next week's return leg, Barcelona hope to have first choice left-back Alejandro Balde back in action.\r\n\r\nShould he fail to pass a fitness test, Gerard Martin could continue to deputise in the Blaugrana's defence, alongside Inigo Martinez, Jules Kounde and Pau Cubarsi. Elsewhere, Marc Bernal and Marc Casado are both sidelined by knee problems.\r\n\r\nNumber one goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is back in contention, having returned to the squad for the first time since September, but vastly experienced back-up Wojciech Szczesny is set to keep the gloves for now.\r\n\r\nLikely to support Ferran Torres up front, wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha have combined for more goals than any other duo in the Champions League this season (five), while creating the most chances for another teammate (16 - eight apiece). Along with the absent Lewandowski, they have scored 27 of Barca's 37 goals in the competition so far.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has found the net in all of his last five Champions League appearances, becoming the first player to score more than 20 times for the Nerazzurri in UEFA's top tournament.\r\n\r\nHis preferred Marcus Thuram partner - who has scored a career best 14 league goals this term - hopes to play some part at Montjuic, having missed the last three games with a thigh injury. Alternative options Joaquin Correa, Marko Arnautovic and Medhi Taremi have not convinced.\r\n\r\nThuram's French compatriot Benjamin Pavard sprained an ankle on Sunday, so his presence may be in some doubt, but Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski both returned to action against Roma following layoffs.\r\n\r\nAfter regular starters Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan served Serie A suspensions at the weekend, they should return to Simone Inzaghi's starting XI in Catalonia.\r\n\r\n Barcelona possible starting lineup: \r\n Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Martin; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Torres \r\n\r\n Inter Milan possible starting lineup: \r\n Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram "

"Barcelona and Inter Milan Renew Rivalry in High-Stakes Champions League Semi-Final: Can the Catalans Overcome Their Italian Nemesis?"

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