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Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi says his side hold Barcelona in high regard but won’t be intimidated as the two clubs prepare to face off in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg in Catalonia.
Inzaghi’s team enters the match on a rough patch, having lost their last three games and seen hopes of a treble vanish.
Meanwhile, Barcelona remain on course for a historic quadruple, having already claimed two trophies this season.
“We have enormous respect for Barcelona—they’ve got incredible stats, already lifted two titles, and are competing for two more,” Inzaghi said in Tuesday’s press conference. “But we’re not afraid. We’ve earned our place here, and we want to keep going.”
Inter overcame Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals but have since suffered defeats in Serie A and were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by rivals AC Milan.
Despite this slump, Inzaghi insisted recent setbacks don’t overshadow the team’s progress under his leadership since 2021.
“Last week was a tough one, but it doesn’t cancel out everything we’ve built. The commitment and spirit from the squad can’t be questioned—they’ve given everything,” he added.
The Nerazzurri were without key forward Marcus Thuram in those three defeats. The Frenchman hasn’t played since their second-leg win over Bayern on April 16 due to a thigh injury. However, Inzaghi said there was still hope Thuram might feature against Barcelona.
“We hoped to have Thuram back against Roma, but that didn’t happen. We’ll make a final decision based on how he feels on the morning of the match,” said the coach.
Thuram, with 17 goals in 44 appearances this season, typically partners Lautaro Martinez in attack. While Benjamin Pavard has been ruled out due to an ankle problem, Inzaghi confirmed that Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries are fit to play.
Inter last won the Champions League in 2010 and finished runners-up in 2023 after a narrow loss to Manchester City in the final.
