ON PAPER, the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona is a classic European tie; two of the traditional heavyweights coming face-to-face once more. Their records in the competition this season are firm evidence of their ability to slalom their way through to the last four. Inter have played Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich and haven’t lost to any of them. Barca have beaten Bayern and in games against Benfica and Borussia Dortmund, they showed they are capable of devastating football.
2Y6M1ED Barcelona, Spain. 25th Sep, 2024. Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona during the La Liga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF played at Lluis Companys Stadium on September 25, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Bagu Blanco/PRESSINPHOTO) Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News " data-medium-file="https://gameofthepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2y6m1ed.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://gameofthepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2y6m1ed.jpg?w=863" width="863" height="575" src="https://gameofthepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2y6m1ed.jpg?w=863" alt class="wp-image-21356">
Of the two teams, Barca’s pathway seems to be more brightly lit, primarily because they have in their ranks the next young prince of the game in Lamine Yamal. The club will have to manage their prized asset well, because at his tender young age, it can all go wrong as much as it can go right. Barca have other talents who have yet to reach their peak and with a new stadium awaiting them, the future looks good. Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey, they are champions-elect in Spain and they are marginal favourites to win through against Inter. This could be a landmark season for them, equalling the treble-winning feats of Barca’s 2009 and 2015 sides.
But what of Inter Milan, who until recently were favourites for the Serie A title? Clearly they are one of the best teams in Italy, but have they got what it takes to be European champions? Their squad has an average age of 29.8 which is the highest in Italy and a good three years above the average across Europe. They have 10 players over the age of 30 and some are on the wrong side of 35. It does make one wonder if tired legs have contributed to Inter’s recent loss of verve, allowing Napoli to take the initiative Serie A.
There can be no denying that Inter were impressive in Barcelona at times and they do have players who have experience of playing in the Champions League final – nine of the team that lined-up against Manchester City in 2023 may have some form of involvement at the San Siro. If the second leg is anything like the first, it will be riveting stuff.
Paris Saint-Germain go into the second meeting with Arsenal with a one-goal advantage after their 1-0 victory at the Emirates. PSG have surprised many people this season with the quality of their football and their renewed vigour. Of course, not many people will give them much credit owing to their huge financial advantages. The PSG experiment 1.0 was not the overwhelming success everyone anticipated in Qatar, but the more understated version 2.0 (still costly, incidentally), may yet reap more rewards for the club.
PSG continue to stand astride French football simply because they are wealthier and have a squad of real depth. They are, to a large degree, immune from some of Ligue 1’s problems, hence they were unbeaten until very recently and will finish almost 20 points clear at the top. They, too, have the chance to win a unique treble this season. They seem to be a team that has got better as the campaign has progressed – early in the Champions League they lost to Bayern, Atlético and Arsenal but in the knockout stages, they impressed against Liverpool and thrashed fellow Frenchmen Brest 10-0 on aggregate.
Arsenal beat them 2-0 at the Emirates back in October, but the fortunes of the two teams have been a little different. Arsenal have suffered from injuries and they have fallen away in the past two months. In their last 10 league games, they have won three, drawn five and lost two in the Premier. They remain hard to beat, but often lack the killer touch. Their European games would suggest otherwise, having beaten PSV and Real Madrid with no shortage of style. Nevertheless, they have to overcome PSG on their own ground, a team that knows it is so very close to achieving unprecedented glory. It is not beyond Arsenal, as their displays against Real Madrid showed, but it is a huge hurdle for Mikel Arteta’s side, who need tangible success to remove their “nearly men” tag.
It could be Barca v Arsenal, Inter v PSG, Inter v Arsenal or Barca v PSG. Whatever the outcome of the semi-finals, UEFA will have an appetising Champions League final, and just for a change, Real Madrid are not involved!