The second semi-final of this year’s Champions League kicks off tonight as Barcelona take on Inter Milan at the Nou Camp. The two sides had contrasting results on the weekend prior to this fixture as Barcelona beat their rivals Real Madrid during extra time in the Copa Del Rey final. Inter Milan let their lead in Serie A slip as they narrowly lost to Bologna allowing Napoli to take a three point advantage with only a handful of games left to play.
Taking this into account, I’ve put together a bet builder with the following selections: Yamal 1+ SOT, Dumfries 1+ Foul & Lautaro Martinez 1+ Shot at 1.66.
Brilliant Barcelona
Barcelona’s fantastic season got even better over the weekend as they won their 31st Copa Del Rey trophy over bitter rivals Real Madrid in an entertaining game that saw four goals in normal time with three of them being in a frantic final 20 minutes. Barca went on to win the tie with a 116th minute goal in extra time courtesy of Kounde. This momentum should serve as a warning sign to Inter Milan who will want to be able to take the tie to the Stadio Giusseppe Meazza knowing they have a chance at reaching the final.
Hansi Flick’s side will be without their main talisman Robert Lewandowski for their match tonight with the Polish striker out injured. However, as proven throughout the season Raphinha and Lamine Yamal are more than capable of conjuring up goals for the side. Our tip includes a Yamal Shot on Target which he has produced in 32/41 LaLiga or Champions League matches this season.
Inter Milan Stalling?
Inter Milan’s season took a hit as they let their lead slip to give Napoli the advantage in the Serie A title race. They need to quickly forget about that result and focus on the task at hand against Barcelona which could prove to be their toughest game of the season. I’ve chosen Denzel Dumfries to commit 1+ foul, something the Dutchman has done in his 32/35 Serie A and UCL appearances, he is also on an 18 match Serie A streak committing at least 1 foul in all those games. Against Barcelona’s tricky wingers, this should be nailed on.
I’ve also gone for Inter’s main striker to have at least 1 shot to boost the odds of our bet builder. As strong as Barcelona are, they are liable to defensive frailties as seen in their Champions League campaign this season with 17 goals conceded in their 12 UCL matches. Martinez has not had a shot in just three of his 42 games in the Champions League or Serie A this season.
Our main tip for this exciting game is Yamal 1+ SOT, Dumfries 1+ Foul and a L. Martinez Shot, something the stats heavily back up!
