Barcelona could not respond to falling behind for a fourth time in their Champions League semi-final against Inter, as Yann Sommer denied them time and again. In extra time, Barcelona had 20 minutes to find the equaliser, but could not find gaps in the Inter defence.
Hansi Flick had thrown on Fermin Lopez in the second half, while Robert Lewandowski was put on in stoppage time after Barcelona had gone ahead. Pau Victor, Hector Fort and Gavi all came on in extra time too, but the Blaugrana were at the mercy of Lamine Yamal’s efforts in the extra period.
Robert Lewandowski’s return to action
Lewandowski had been out injured with a knee problem, causing him to miss the last previous four games, after sustaining the injury on the 19th of April. He was given the medical green light on Monday, but Flick, despite the fact that his side were searching for a goal, decided not to put him on until Barcelona had taken the lead, and that point, seemingly secured their spot in the final.
While he did pull off one nice piece of link-up play in midfield leading to a Lamine Yamal chance, Lewandowski struggled to get into the game. The one chance that he did have, he could not keep down, heading a Lamine Yamal cross over.
Jules Kounde’s confusion
According to Barca Reservat on Catalunya Radio, injured Barcelona defender Jules Kounde was overheard saying ‘I don’t know why Lewandowski is playing, given the way he is,’ referring to his fitness presumably. The French defender was forced to view the match from the stands due to his own hamstring issue, while Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde were also left out of the squad.
Alejandro Balde has trained with the group, and is expected to be fit for El Clásico. @fansjavimiguel
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 8, 2025
The unknown of El Clasico
In theory, if he is fully fit, Lewandowski would return to the starting line-up for El Clasico on Sunday, in a decisive clash with Real Madrid. However Kounde’s assessment casts doubt on just how fit he is. The fact that Flick did not turn to him sooner could also be seen as an indictment of his condition too. Ferran Torres will again be his competition, but he too has looked increasingly exhausted, and struggled to impact the game against Inter.
