Jack Ogalbe's selections for Wednesday's night's clash in Catalonia include a win for the hosts with plenty of goals.
European heavyweights Barcelona and Inter Milan have barely put a foot wrong along their march into the last four of the UEFA Champions League, but which of these giants will be taking a mighty stride towards the final after Wednesday’s first leg?
Barca, five-time tournament winners, have the greater head-to-head record and are in better form than Inter, who have lifted the trophy three times.
But the Nerazzurri took care of Bundesliga big-hitters Bayern Munich in the last round, so Hansi Flick’s La Liga leaders will not be taking the Italians lightly in part one of a mouthwatering double header at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Here are our football betting tips for the first leg.
Barcelona v Inter tips
Barcelona & over 2.5 goals /
Lamine Yamal to score or assist /
Under 3.5 first-half total corners /
Copa winners can keep off-colour Italians at bay
Inter Milan have been almost flawless on their run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League and no team in Europe seems better drilled in the art of getting results in away games than them.
From their opening group-stage game – a 0-0 draw at Manchester City – it was obvious Simone Inzaghi’s men were an obdurate bunch and road wins in the knockout rounds at both Feyenoord (2-0) and Bayern Munich (2-1) merely confirmed that notion.
Barcelona will treat the Serie A powers with the utmost respect – though this does look a good time to be playing them and Hansi Flick’s side need to take advantage on their own patch.
Barca come into the game buzzing after winning a thrilling Copa del Rey final 3-2 against Real Madrid on Saturday night, 24 hours before Inter lost 1-0 at home to Roma, a third straight defeat without scoring, which has seen them fall three points behind Napoli in the Italian top flight.
They are without right-sided defender Benjamin Pavard and top scorer Marcus Thuram and have clearly gone off the boil just a few weeks after eliminating Bayern.
This looks a great opportunity for Barcelona, 4/6 shots but worth chancing at 5/4 in a game also featuring over 2.5 goals.
Barca have scored 37 goals in their 12 European matches this season and they will see this as a chance to put this tie to bed before heading to Italy for next week’s second leg.
Yamal to put Italians in the shade
Raphinha has scored 12 goals in this season’s Champions League, Robert Lewandowski 11 but it’s the third member of Barca’s feared front-line, youngster Lamine Yamal, who is taken to be a difference maker in the first leg.
The 17-year-old has an ability to unlock the best defences, as illustrated once again at the weekend with a pair of assists for Pedri and Ferran Torres in the Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid.
In La Liga this season, the Spain international has scored six goals along with 12 assists, while in the Champions League he has four goals and three assists. He is 7/5 to do either against Inter on Wednesday night.
Inzaghi’s machine to ensure low corner tally
Barcelona have been piling up the shots in the Champions League this term – only four clubs have more shots on target than them – but not the corners.
Respectful opposition defences have restricted the Spanish giants to just 54 corners at 4.3 per game. Inter, unsurprisingly, are even less prolific, with just 35 corners taken at 2.9 per game.
When Inter visited Bayern in the last round they tried to suck the life out of the front-footed Germans and restricted Vincent Kompany’s men to a mere five corners, two in the first half.
This is the first leg with an element of caution, so look at a slowish start reflected by a nice price of 13/8 under 3.5 first-half corners.
