Barcelona vs Inter Milan predictions and match preview for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture. Read on for analysis and predicted lineups as two European giants clash.
| Date | Wednesday 12th October 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | Camp Nou |
| Competition | UEFA Champions League |
Barcelona vs Inter Milan Preview
Barcelona and Inter Milan meet again in a vital Champions League at Camp Nou this Wednesday. For the second season running, the Catalan giants are in real trouble in the group stage of this competition and there is real pressure on Xavi and his team to win this game with even a draw not really an option.
Having gambled and spent big in the summer, the expectation was that Barcelona would be much stronger this season, both domestically and in Europe. A return of 22 points and 20 goals scored, with only 1 conceded from 8 league games so far suggests they are delivering on one front. Their latest victory, a 1-0 success against Celta Vigo on Sunday, sets them up nicely for next weekend’s Clasico but in some respects, this game is even more important.
Champions League defeats in Munich and Milan leave Barcelona with just 3 points at the midway stage in the group. While it may be true that their performances have merited more, Barça have not been clinical enough and that simply has to change here. They can’t afford to let good chances go, but they also can’t afford to be too gung-ho with a defensive injury crisis which led to Xavi effectively naming three left-backs in his starting XI against Celta last time out.
Inter will take confidence from their 1-0 win in the reverse fixture last week when Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s long-range strike sealed a priceless victory. The Italians only had 28% possession in that game which gives you a taster of how this one might go with even less onus on Simone Inzaghi’s side to come out and attack here away from home and with an advantage in the group.
They would gladly leave with a point which would leave Inter in a very strong position to go on and seal qualification. That would ease some of their current domestic woes. They’ve not looked convincing in Serie A so far this term and are currently only 7th but Inter did pick up a 2-1 victory at Sassuolo at the weekend with Edin Dzeko on target twice.
Possible Lineups
Barcelona: Ter Stegen – Alonso, Garcia, Pique, Roberto – Pedri, Busquets, Gavi – Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembele (4-3-3)
Inter: Onana – Bastoni, De Vrij, Skriniar – Dimarco, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella, Dumfries – Dzeko, Martinez (3-5-2)
Score Prediction: Barcelona 1-0 Inter Milan
This is going to be a really tense night for all at Camp Nou. Inter are not a side to really be feared currently and they are likely to be content with defending deep here as they seek to frustrate Barcelona and take a point which would leave the Catalans most likely staring at another season in the Europa League. However over the course of 90 minutes, Barcelona should have enough quality on the pitch to force a breakthrough and potentially claim a very important three points.
PLEASE NOTE – Our European predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish teams playing in Europe. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
