MILAN — Unpredictable events often unfold when Inter Milan clashes with Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals. Reflecting on their last encounter at this stage back in 2010, Barcelona endured a grueling 15-hour bus journey to Milan. This was due to air travel disruptions caused by the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in Iceland, which resulted in a massive ash cloud shutting down airspace.
In that memorable series, Barcelona succumbed 3-1 in the first leg, and Inter’s resilient defense in the second leg secured them a 3-2 aggregate victory. This triumph led Inter to the final, where they clinched a historic treble by defeating Bayern Munich under the management of Jose Mourinho.
Currently, Inter is hoping to avoid a similar travel calamity after an unprecedented blackout recently immobilized much of Spain and Portugal. By early Tuesday morning, power had been mostly restored across Spain, allowing Inter’s charter flight to remain scheduled for a 5 p.m. departure to Barcelona on the eve of their latest semifinal matchup.
Barcelona’s young talent, Lamine Yamal, aged 17, recounted being trapped at the club’s training facility located outside the city during the blackout on Monday afternoon. “Honestly, we were at a loss for what to do. I spent the entire day with my teammates at the training center,” Yamal expressed on Tuesday. “The situation made us quite anxious, but now our focus is fully on the semifinal, and we are very motivated to play.”
Revitalizing Inter
Simone Inzaghi, Inter’s coach, is eager to see his squad regain their composure in time for the crucial game. Recently, Inter has been enduring a troubling series of results, diminishing their aspirations for another treble dramatically.
For the first time in over 13 years, Inter has suffered three consecutive losses without managing to score a single goal. Following a 2-2 draw with Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinals, they faced narrow 1-0 losses against both Bologna and Roma in Serie A, and a decisive 3-0 defeat by AC Milan in the second leg of their Italian Cup semifinal.
This string of poor performances has also resulted in them falling behind Napoli in the Serie A standings, now trailing three points behind the new leaders. “These defeats are painful and unfamiliar to us; we need to introspect and restore our physical and mental energy,” stated Inzaghi.
These matches shared a crucial similarity: the absence of Marcus Thuram. Recovering from a left thigh injury, Thuram has contributed significantly to Inter’s campaign with 17 goals and nine assists across all competitions this season.
In Thuram’s absence, Lautaro Martinez has struggled with fatigue as the sole force in Inter’s attacking front, with Marko Arnautovic proving ineffective as his stand-in. However, Thuram’s return to training offers a glimmer of hope, and he might even feature in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
Inzaghi remarked, “We’ll approach Barcelona with respect but without fear.”