Barcelona-Inter Milan Preview: What to expect from the Nerazzurri

Barcelona and Inter will meet again for the first time at the semi-final stage in 15 years in the Champions League, with both sides desperate to return to the final. In Inter’s case, a longing that comes from coming so close three years ago against Manchester City, and from a Barcelona perspective, they are looking to reassert themselves at the top level of game.

Ahead of the first leg at Montjuic, Football España spoke with Football Italia editor Lorenzo Bettoni to find out just what is awaiting the Blaugrana in the semi-final.

A player that might surprise Barcelona fans

“It depends how familiar you are with Alessandro Bastoni,” Bettoni explains. “I don’t think many people in Europe are aware of just how strong and good he is. He is one of the best in the world, and people know that in Italy, but those who don’t follow Serie A might not be aware of how good he is.”

“Despite the fact that he is a defender, the way he attacks is incredible, getting forward and getting into the final third, as well as the way he defends.”

Another player to watch out for is Yann Aurel Bisseck, likely a starter in the backline with Francesco Acerbi and Bastoni, is another one who might surprise people. There are times when he is not as focused, or he shows less determination, but he’s been very good of late. In a game like this, where everyone is focused, I expect him to do well.

How do Inter come into this match?

Just seven days ago, Inter were dreaming of a treble, before the Coppa Italia semi-final with AC Milan, losing that game 3-0. That was after a defeat to Bologna, and on Sunday, they lost to Roma, making it three defeats in a row, and without scoring any goals. It’s the first time that that has happened since 2012.

But Denzel Dumfries came back from the bench on Sunday, and Marcus Thuram is back in training too, and these are two players that make a big difference for Inter. Especially this season. Inter are a team that don’t dribble much. They are the team with the lowest number of successful dribbles in Serie A, which is strange, but shows just how well they play collectively. No doubt the first hour or 70 minutes will be crucial, because it’s very unlikely Thuram can play 90 minutes. Marko Arnautovic and Mehdi Taremi are different types of forward, and without Thuram they cannot play as quickly.

Their build-up is very good, their counter-attacks are deadly. They know how to play any type of game. But when it comes to counter-attacks and being quick in the final third, they have been missing Thuram and Dumfries a lot in the last three matches. Thuram is expected to come straight back in, due to the fact that Inter have not scored in those games.

Fatigue is a factor for both sides

Barcelona come into the game with doubts about their depth and several key players missing, coming off the back of 120 minutes against Real Madrid on Saturday night. But Inter are looking equally leggy of late.

“Inter look really tired. But it is true that their focus has been different in the Champions League compared to other competitions. It has actually been a point of criticism for Simone Inzaghi, compared to Antonio Conte. Inter probably play much better football than Napoli, but now they are three points behind them with four games remaining.”

“From dreaming of the treble seven days ago, now they are facing a situation where they could be without any titles in the space of a few weeks.”

Where game plan can Barcelona expect from Inter?

The biggest problem now is that they are really tired. They lost a lot of duels against Roma, and they are without Benjamin Pavard, who is one of their best defenders. I expect a very similar game to the first leg against Bayern Munich, where Inter defend as a low block and try to cover as much space as possible, not give Barcelona any chances.

One of the turning points against Bayern was Harry Kane missing a big chance in the box. A few minutes later, Lautaro scored and although Bayern dominated possession across the two legs, Inter showed they were more clinical on the counter-attack. A really similar tie is to be expected. If they are focused and manage not to give Barcelona any space in attack, they can get a good result.

Barça have known since last week that Balde wouldn’t be playing tomorrow. There has been no news in the last few hours, despite some speculation. The full-back is working to travel to Milan and be available for the return. @tjuanmarti

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 29, 2025

Where can Barcelona hurt Inter?

Barcelona also have a bit more quality than Bayern in attack, there’s obviously Lamine Yamal there, and the one big problem is that Federico Dimarco is not in the best shape. It happened against Roma that Matias Soule played on Inter’s left and hurt Inter, and Niccolo Barella had to come across and help him a lot. That could be a mismatch for Barcelona. He’ll have help from Bastoni too, but they’ll need at least two players on Lamine Yamal.

The opening hour of the game will be key for Inter, and then Barcelona will push very hard. The middle third of the game is where you can expect Inter to be at their best in this first leg.