Sabasports Match Preview
UEFA Champions League: Barcelona vs Inter
Kickoff Time: 2025-05-01 03:00(HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
In last weekend’s Copa del Rey final, Barcelona and Real Madrid fought for 120 minutes, and ultimately, with Jules Kounde’s last-minute goal, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-2 to win the championship. Under the guidance of Hans-Dieter Flick, Barcelona’s tactics have shifted from focusing on ball possession to combining ball control efficiency with space utilization. Flick has weakened the traditional full-field pressing and emphasized pressing and quick offensive and defensive transitions while reducing the risk of defense line passing. Through short-range passing, they can stretch the defense. Moreover, Robert Lewandowski can activate the midfield by dropping back to create chances, forming a three-dimensional attack. As Flick said, “Ball possession is a means, not the end.” Flick has indeed injected new vitality and style into Barcelona.
In last weekend’s Serie A match, Inter lost 0-1 at home against Roma, suffering three consecutive defeats across all competitions, and in these three games, Inter failed to score any goals. From recent matches, it’s clear that Inter is struggling. The team’s running distance has dropped sharply, which indicates that Inter is truly running out of steam. Since January, the team plays almost every 4-5 days, and now they have already played 28 matches. The fatigue of the players is evident. Additionally, Marcus Thuram is currently undergoing individual training, and it remains uncertain whether he will be able to return for the first leg against Barcelona. As the top scorer of the team, Thuram is crucial for Inter.
Considering the recent form of both teams, Barcelona is clearly more stable and better than Inter. Judging from the comprehensive strength of the teams, Barcelona also surpasses Inter. With the home advantage, Barcelona is undoubtedly more worthy of support in this match.
Barcelona’s Last 5 Games: DWWLW
25-04-27 Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid (ET 1-0)
25-04-23 Barcelona 1-0 Mallorca
25-04-19 Barcelona 4-3 Celta Vigo
25-04-16 Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Barcelona
25-04-13 Leganes 0-1 Barcelona
Inter’s Last 5 Games: LLLDW
25-04-27 Inter 0-1 AS Roma
25-04-24 Inter 0-3 AC Milan
25-04-21 Bologna 1-0 Inter
25-04-17 Inter 2-2 Bayern Munich
25-04-13 Inter 3-1 Cagliari
Head To Head Record:
22-10-13 Barcelona 3-3 Inter
22-10-05 Inter 1-0 Barcelona
10-12-11 Inter 1-2 Barcelona
19-10-03 Barcelona 2-1 Inter
18-11-07 Inter 1-1 Barcelona
Prediction: Barcelona to win