The attacking prowess of Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, who have collectively netted an impressive 39 goals in 92 appearances this season, will be key
Inter Milan will host Barcelona in a high-stakes Champions League semi-final second leg in San Siro on Tuesday. The tie is tantalizingly poised at 3-3 after an electrifying first leg, leaving both European giants with everything to play for as they battle for a coveted place in the final. (More Football News)
For Inter, a victory would not only secure a potential second Champions League final appearance in three years but also offer a significant silver lining to a season that has seen domestic struggles.
Marcus Thuram, who marked his return from injury with a sensational backheel goal in the first leg, is expected to lead the line. His fitness and form are crucial for an Inter side whose Serie A title aspirations are fading, with Napoli holding a three-point lead with just three games remaining. The Champions League now represents their most realistic path to silverware.
Earlier in the season, Inter harboured treble dreams, particularly after a dramatic quarter-final triumph over Bayern Munich. However, a subsequent three-game domestic losing streak, coinciding with Thuram's absence, saw them lose ground in the league and exit the Italian Cup to rivals AC Milan.
The attacking prowess of Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, who have collectively netted an impressive 39 goals in 92 appearances this season, will be key. However, Martinez is a major doubt for the clash due to a hamstring injury and is currently training individually, hoping to make the bench.
His absence would put more pressure on Thuram, as backup forwards Marko Arnautovic (7 goals), Mehdi Taremi, and Joaquin Correa have only managed 10 goals in approximately 35 combined appearances. Defender Benjamin Pavard, scorer of the winner against Bayern, has returned to training after an ankle issue and, like Martinez, faces a late fitness test. "We’ll probably have to decide about both of them in the warm-up," admitted assistant coach Massimiliano Farris.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are hopeful that star striker Robert Lewandowski will be available after missing the first leg due to injury. His return to training is a significant boost for the Catalan side's attack. However, they will be without key defenders Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde, potentially weakening their backline against Inter's offensive threat.
Inter Milan and Barcelona have played against each other 13 times in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) and Barcelona have a big edge over Inter, having won six of those matches. Inter have only won two matches, whereas five games ended in a draw.
Match played - 13
Barcelona won - 6
Inter won - 2
Draw - 5
Barcelona have scored 20 goals in the Champions League against Inter. The Lautaro Martinez-led side have scored only 13 goals against Barcelona in the UCL.
For Barcelona, Lionel Messi (now plays for Inter Miami) has scored 120 goals, whereas his Argentina teammate Lautaro Martinez (20) is the all-time top scorer for Inter.
Barcelona have five UCL titles, with the most recent coming in the 2014-15 season. Inter, on the other hand, have three UCL titles, with the most recent coming in the 2009-10 season.