Inter Milan's Thuram to Lead Attack Against Barcelona

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram is set to lead the attack against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, but the team faces injury doubts and a lack of squad depth.

Marcus Thuram must step up for Inter Milan as they aim to reach their second Champions League final in three seasons by overcoming Barcelona.

After last week's thrilling 3-3 draw, the semi-final tie is finely balanced, setting up a intense second-leg showdown at the San Siro. The match promises to be a closely contested battle between Inter and Barcelona.

Marcus Thuram will lead Inter's attack against Barcelona, following his impressive return from injury with a spectacular backheeled opener in the previous match.

While Barcelona fielded their strong lineup against Real Valladolid, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi gave his first-choice players a rest in a 1-0 win over Verona. However, assistant coach Massimiliano Farris noted that the first leg efforts left Inter's starters “squeezed dry,” and they'll need another strong performance to overcome Barcelona.

Inter's 1-0 win over Verona kept alive their Serie A title hopes, but with Napoli leading by three points and three matches left, the Champions League is now their best chance for silverware.

After a promising quarter-final win over Bayern Munich, which fueled treble hopes, Inter's fortunes shifted. Without Marcus Thuram, they lost three domestic games in a row without scoring, falling behind Napoli and suffering a cup elimination at the hands of AC Milan.

Marcus Thuram and Inter will face Barcelona with a squad that has had a week's rest after a grueling season. The team's lack of depth, particularly in attack, is a concern.

Thuram and Lautaro Martinez have shouldered the scoring burden, netting 39 goals in 92 appearances. In contrast, backup strikers Marko Arnautovic, Mehdi Taremi, and Joaquin Correa have scored 10 goals in fewer appearances, mostly as substitutes, with Arnautovic contributing seven of those goals.

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Inter faces uncertainty ahead of the Barcelona match due to injuries. Lautaro Martinez, who picked up a hamstring injury in the first leg, and Benjamin Pavard, who suffered an ankle injury last month, are both at risk of missing the game. “They're both at risk (of not playing),” assistant coach Massimiliano Farris said.

Martinez is training separately and pushing to be available for the match, aiming to at least secure a spot on the bench. Pavard returned to team training on Sunday, but both players' participation is uncertain ahead of the crucial Champions League match.

“Lautaro will try to do the impossible, while Pavard had a horrible sprain but he has tried to make himself available. We'll probably end up deciding on them in the pre-match warm-up,” said Inter's coach about the uncertain availability of Lautaro Martinez and Benjamin Pavard.

Barcelona's Lineup Concerns

Inter will hope Robert Lewandowski remains unavailable, as he was in the first leg. However, Lewandowski is training with Barcelona. The Blaugrana are dealing with their own injury issues, with Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde out, and coach Hansi Flick might have preferred to rest Lamine Yamal and Raphinha ahead of the big match after bringing them on against Valladolid.