Who: Barcelona vs. Inter Milan
What: UEFA Champions League semifinal, second leg
Where: San Siro stadium, Milan, Italy
When: Tuesday at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
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In a tantalizing second and decisive leg of their semifinal match on Tuesday night, five-time champions Barcelona travel to northern Italy to face three-time champion Inter Milan.
The Catalan Giants are on track to win a rare treble, including LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League titles, but they were only able to draw against Inter in the opening game of their Champions League semifinal, leaving them with nothing to do on the road in Milan.
Inter, who are attempting to reach the second Champions League title in three seasons, will enjoy their home-based rivals’ chances of defeating the flamboyant LaLiga leaders. However, the Nerazzurri’s 1-0 home victory over 15th-placed Verona on Saturday night marked their departure from their best performance.
Before the semifinal match between two of Europe’s top football superclubs, everything is revealed:
What took place in the first leg of the semifinal?
On April 30 at home against Inter Milan, Barcelona came away with a compelling 3-3 draw.
With superb strikes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, the Italian side jumped out to a two-goal lead before Lamine Yamal, the unstoppable, resurrected the situation with a sublime solo effort.
Ferran Torres leveled for the five-time champions, and a Yann Sommer own goal put the tie in the second leg as Inter soared past Dumfries once more.
Why is Yamal the subject of such discussion?
At age 17, playing his 100th game as he did against Inter on Wednesday, Yamal broke the record set by Kylian Mbappe, who was 18 at the time of his tying of the feat in 2017.
Talents like those found in the Barcelona teenager only appear once every 50 years, according to Inter Manager Simone Inzaghi.
After Yamal helped Barcelona rally in the action-packed first leg, the Inter coach said, “He’s the kind of talent that is born every 50 years, I have never seen him live.
After the game, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick described his attacking winger as “a genius.”
Yamal himself was forced to ignore comparisons to the legendary Lionel Messi, who also played the same position at Barcelona, before the first leg.
Yamal told reporters, “I don’t compare myself to him because I don’t compare myself to anyone, and much less Messi.”
“So I don’t believe the comparison makes sense,” he added. I’m going to be myself and enjoy myself.
Yamal claimed that he thought the Argentinian forward was the greatest player ever.
He continued, “I admire him obviously as the best player in history, but I don’t compare myself to him.”
Barcelona team news
Jules Kounde, who started for Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals against Inter, will miss Thursday’s game due to a hamstring injury.
Unexpectedly, Flick might be able to bring in Robert Lewandowski, who is recovering from a leg injury for three weeks ahead of schedule. After being sidelined for about two weeks, Lewandowski made an addition to the team on Monday.
Despite Marc-Andre ter Steg’s return to the first team in a LaLiga game over the weekend following a lengthy injury layoff, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is expected to start against Inter.
Inter Milan team news
Lautaro Martinez’ availability, who is the star player from Argentina, is highly doubtful going into their second leg showdown at the San Siro after the Argentina star suffered a leg injury against Barcelona last Wednesday. Martinez will be replaced in the starting lineup by Inzaghi with Marko Arnautovic or Mehdi Taremi on standby.  ,
However, according to Italian media reports from Monday, Martinez’s position at Inter is gaining more confidence. A photo of Luautaro performing exercises in the gym was posted by himself, and it features emojis of an e-cigarette and a battery.
Important defender Benjamin Pavard, who missed the first leg of the semifinal against Barca, is set to start for Inter in a different positive way, according to reports from the Italian media outlet Gazzetta. it.
Hakan Calhanoglu, a star midfielder, will miss Inter’s 1-0 victory over Verona with a suspension.
Possible starting lineups:
Possible Barcelona XI: Szczesny, Eric, Araujo, Cubarsi, Inigo, de Jong, Pedri, Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha, Ferran.
Possible Inter Milan XI: Sommer, Acerbi, Pavard, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Arnautovic, Thuram
Head-to-head:
The teams have previously engaged in 13 games:
- Barcelona defeats: 6
- Inter Milan wins by 2
- Draws: 5
What the managers said:
Inter can’t just defend, says Barcelona manager Hansi Flick. They must also try to score. The four best teams in Europe will compete in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. We possess the ability to play with style and confidence. Next week’s 90 minutes should be enough time to make the final. We will fight for that, and that is our goal.
We watched a fantastic match [in the first leg], and we all knew the challenge of the semifinals. Even so, we might have triumphed. The impact made by our subs a lot to me. Our supporters are aware that Tuesday will be the “final” of our efforts in trying times, and we are aware of this.
When did Inter Milan and Barcelona last claim a victory in the UEFA Champions League?
Inter Milan last won in 2010 while Barcelona most recently won in 2015, respectively.
The UEFA Champions League final will take place in 2025, when and where?
The Champions League final will take place on May 31 in Germany for the winner of this semifinal.
The 75, 000-capacity Allianz Arena in Munich will host the biggest annual showpiece of European football.
Source: Aljazeera
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