- Barcelona and Inter clash tonight in the first Champions League semi-final, both having reached the last four after strong campaigns
- Barcelona have been in better form lately, while Inter have stumbled domestically since eliminating Bayern
- The Italians have dominated the recent head-to-head clashes, including the famous 2010 semi-final and the 2022/23 group stage encounters
Key Takeaways:
Barcelona and Inter face off in the first Champions League semi-final today. Both teams have deservedly reached the final four, standing out as two of the strongest sides already during the group stage. They both qualified directly for the round of 16 and finished level on points, 19 each, though Barcelona placed second, while the Nerazzurri ended two spots lower due to inferior goal difference. This meant that both sides needed to eliminate just two opponents to make it to this stage of the tournament, avoiding the playoff.
Barcelona 🆚 Inter
What will happen in 3 words? 👇#UCL pic.twitter.com/MyBSeHVJMV
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 30, 2025
Hansi Flick’s men first overcame Benfica with a 4–1 aggregate (3–1 and 1–0), then cruised past Borussia Dortmund with a combined score of 5–3 (4–0 and 1–3). Inter have not suffered a single defeat in the knockout phase, eliminating Feyenoord with two wins (2–0 and 2–1) and recording a win and a draw against Bayern Munich (2–1 and 2–2).
In terms of current form, Barcelona appear slightly ahead. The Blaugrana have won four of their last five matches, losing only once—to Real Madrid in last weekend’s Copa del Rey final.
Inter, on the other hand, surprised everyone after beating Bayern, only to collapse in Serie A with losses to Bologna and Roma, which saw them slip from the top spot. Additionally, Simone Inzaghi’s team were dismantled 0–3 by rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg.
In recent Champions League matchups, however, the Italians have the upper hand. Many still remember the last time the sides met in a Champions League semi-final — 15 years ago in 2010. Jose Mourinho’s Inter stunned the reigning champions at San Siro with a 3–1 victory in the first leg. A narrow 0–1 defeat at Camp Nou was enough to send them to the final.
The most recent meetings came during the 2022/23 group stage, where the two sides drew 3–3 in one of the most memorable games of the campaign. Before that, Inter had secured a 1–0 home win at San Siro, which effectively knocked Barcelona out. Under Xavi Hernandez, the Catalans finished third in their group and had to continue in the Europa League that spring.