*Match preview and betting tips provided by SVB Tips
This a high-stakes rematch between two European giants 15 years after their famous 2010 clash, when Mourinho’s Inter eliminated the Catalans en route to a historic treble.
This season, Barcelona are strong favorites to lift the trophy, with Hansi Flick's team exceeding all expectations. Despite a shaky start — a 2-1 loss at Monaco — Barça have been dominant since, going on a 10-match unbeaten run that includes 9 wins. They’ve taken down European heavyweights like Bayern Munich, Benfica (three times), and Borussia Dortmund.
Only Atalanta managed to hold them to a draw (2-2) in the final group game, denying them top spot over Liverpool. In the knockout stages, Barcelona defeated Benfica (1-0 away, 3-1 at home) and then Borussia Dortmund (4-0 at home, 1-3 away), ending their unbeaten streak but still advancing convincingly.
At home, the Catalans are a force — 5 wins and 1 draw in this Champions League campaign, averaging 3.1 goals per match. They're also in strong domestic form, leading La Liga by four points over Real Madrid with just five matches left. Last weekend, they claimed the Copa del Rey with a thrilling 3-2 extra-time win over Real — completing a treble over their rivals this season (La Liga, Supercopa, and Cup).
Lewandowski will miss the first leg, but Flick is hoping to have him back for the return match. Ferran Torres, who scored against Real, is expected to start, alongside Raphinha and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Raphinha and Yamal have combined for 16 Champions League goals, with the Brazilian netting 12 — second only to Guirassy in the scoring charts. Although ter Stegen has returned to training, Szczesny will start in goal. Balde is fit again and will return to the left flank, while Bernal and Casado are still injured.
Meanwhile, Inter arrive in Barcelona at arguably the worst possible moment of their season. The reigning Italian champions look drained, out of ideas, and at risk of finishing the season empty-handed. They've already been knocked out of the Coppa Italia by arch-rivals Milan and lost top spot in Serie A to Napoli after a string of poor performances.
Inzaghi’s side have lost three straight matches — 0-1 to Bologna, 0-3 to Milan, and 0-1 to Roma — all without scoring. Overall, they’re winless in their last four games, a run that began with a 2-2 home draw against Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite eliminating Bayern with a 2-1 away win and a draw at home, Inter's performances have lacked their earlier solidity.
Their group stage was impressive defensively — just 1 goal conceded in 8 games, the best in the competition. That lone goal resulted in their only loss, 0-1 at Leverkusen. Offensively, however, they’ve been underwhelming — 11 goals in 8 matches, with 4 of those coming against Red Star Belgrade. Among teams that made it past the group stage, only Brest (10), Juventus (9), and Brugge (7) scored fewer.
Before beating Bayern, Inter saw off Feyenoord (2-0 away, 2-1 home) in the Round of 16. For the match at Camp Nou, Inzaghi rested Marcus Thuram in the loss to Roma, but the French striker is expected to start alongside Lautaro Martínez — who has scored in each of his last five Champions League appearances and is the only Inter player with over 20 UCL goals.
Defender Benjamin Pavard remains a doubt after picking up a knock against Roma.
Betting Tips & Suggestions:
- Barcelona to Win – Given their home record (5W-1D) and current form, backing Barça outright is a solid option.
- Over 2.5 Goals – With Barcelona averaging over 3 goals per match and Inter's defence looking shaky recently, this could be a high-scoring affair.
- Both Teams to Score: Yes – Inter have offensive firepower with Lautaro and Thuram, and they’ll be desperate to grab an away goal.
- Raphinha to Score Anytime – He’s in excellent form and likely to step up in Lewandowski’s absence.
- Barcelona -1 (Handicap) – For better odds, backing Barcelona to win by at least two goals could be worth a shot considering Inter’s struggles