Champions League semis 2nd leg: Inter, Barcelona brace for decisive clash

Three goals scored away from home should have Inter Milan dreaming of a Champions League final. But heading into Wednesday’s (according to India time) explosive return leg against Barcelona, there’s a sense that the job is far from done. Why? Because the Catalans have a not-so-secret weapon: 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, a footballing prodigy who doesn’t just play — he conjures magic.

 

When chaos reigns, Barcelona thrives

 

In the first leg, Inter stormed ahead 2-0 within 21 minutes, looking every bit the favourites. Then came the storm. Yamal struck with a goal that shook the stadium and Barcelona came charging back, clawing their way to a 3-3 draw in a thriller that will be replayed in highlight reels for years. 

 

 

Stopping Yamal is one thing — a task daunting enough on its own. But there’s also the ever-dangerous Raphinha, Barcelona’s second Ballon d’Or hopeful, tearing through defences with blistering speed and thunderous long-range strikes. The Brazilian has already netted 12 goals in the tournament, one more than Lewandowski — who, remarkably, isn’t even Barcelona’s top scorer in this Champions League run.

 

Fragile at the back, Flick under fire

 

For all their attacking flair, Barcelona remain worryingly porous in defence. Coach Hansi Flick is feeling the heat, not least for keeping Wojciech Szczesny in goal despite Marc-André ter Stegen recovering from a long-term knee injury and returning to action over the weekend.

 

With sixth Champions League title in their sights, Barcelona are chasing history. Inter, meanwhile, are looking to repeat the magic of 2010 — when they knocked out Barcelona en route to their third Champions League crown. 

  Walking wounded: Both sides count the cost

 

The toll of a relentless fixture calendar is on full display in this semifinal.

 

Barcelona are already without Jules Koundé, who pulled his hamstring in the first leg. Lewandowski, despite scoring 40 goals this season, has been playing through pain, managing a nagging left leg issue for the past fortnight. 

 

Inter’s captain Lautaro Martínez limped off injured in the first leg, and his partner-in-attack Marcus Thuram, who scored a jaw-dropping back-heel goal, only just returned from a thigh injury himself.