It looks like a good time over on Hansi Flick’s side. Barcelona is coming off its Copa del Rey triumph over archenemy Real Madrid, and now has its sights set on a treble. Across the pitch, Simone Inzaghi and Inter Milan are juggling some truly bad vibes after their Coppa Italia throttling from rival AC Milan. Worse, the club dropped to second in Serie A with league losses to Bologna and Roma. This Champions League semifinal may prove to be two ships drifting in opposite directions, or it could be a fortune reversal of Cage-Travolta proportions.
How to watch Barcelona vs. Inter Milan, first leg
- Venue: Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium — Barcelona
- Time: 3 p.m. ET Wednesday
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Barcelona got here with a 5-3 aggregate victory over Bortrussia Dortmund. It won the opening contest 4-0, before taking its first 2025 defeat of any kind in the second leg. Respect is certainly due for a 24-match unbeaten streak. It’s the Spanish juggernaut’s first Champions League semifinal since the Lionel Messi squad from six years ago. This iteration is a bit less tiki-taka and with a much stronger counter-attack. Barça sports the highest defensive line in Champions League play, per The Athletic’s Mark Carey and Conor O’Neill.
Lamine Yamal is sensational. The 17-year-old La Masia graduate has 14 goals and 24 assists in 48 appearances this season.
Inter knocked off formidable Bayern Munich, 4-3 on aggregate, after scoring a 2-1 win in Germany. Eight of the Nerazzurri’s starters from the 2023 semifinal team are still in tow. Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez form a strong attacking punch, though Thuram is still making his way back from an adductor injury.
The second leg of this starry matchup is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6 at the San Siro. Barcelona last reached the Champions League final in 2015, when it won 3-1 over Juventus. Inter fell to Manchester City in the 2023 final, a 1-0 stinger settled by Rodri’s lone goal. The winner of this stage takes on either Arsenal or PSG — the Parisians took Tuesday’s first leg, 1-0.
(Photo of Lamine Yamal: Fran Santiago / Getty Images)
