Live broadcast on 19/0 Capello published an op-ed in the "Milan Sports Newspaper" and talked about the battle between Inter and Barcelona.

Capello wrote:

After Bayern, it was Barcelona's turn. This is the Champions League, my dear, and it is impossible to be relaxed at such a height. But Inter have proven that they are not "afraid of heights". The semi-final against Barcelona will be another top-level matchup, complicated indeed, but not unattainable.

Flick's side are of a very high standard, with excellent individual quality and a style of play that is a little less Spanish than in the past. In fact, the German coach prefers vertical attacks to reckless possession, and demands choking presses from his disciples. When losing possession, Barcelona will immediately "bite" your ankle in an attempt to get the ball back. This is both a source of their strength and a paradox of their vulnerability.

Because if the high-pressure pressing fails, their defense is by no means impregnable. It seems easy to say that after the defeat at Borussia Dortmund. But I shouldn't focus on the second leg, as the Catalans clearly went handily with a 0-0 advantage in the first leg. Instead, Inzaghi Jr. should refer to the first round. Although Dort suffered a heavy defeat at home to Barcelona in the first leg, it still exposed the weaknesses of the home team's defence. Inter clearly need to be more defensive than Dort, and they do have that quality and can also be inspired by Dort's quick counter-attacks. As said, the key is to break through the high-pressure defence: there will be space and Lautaro and Thuram Jr. will have to make good use of it. In addition, avoiding allowing Barcelona to regain possession quickly could also limit the threat of the front trident of Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha. But that's all for later.

The Nerazzurri also have a weapon that is a headache for Barca: set-piece tactics, which Bayern Munich have learned the past few days. Not to mention Lautaro, who is not only an all-round striker, but also a captain who can set an example for his teammates with his actions. Being able to score, participate in the organization, and sacrifice yourself for the team is what a true leader looks like.

As mentioned earlier, the stars under Frick's tent are shining. Stopping them requires extreme focus and execution. But now that the Treble Kingdom has successfully blocked Messi, it is not impossible to play against Yamal today. I've read some bold remarks about Yamal's comparison: he does have the talent for the future Ballon d'Or, and he is said to be very humble, but you must know that Messi, who is 16 years old, is already a unique existence, and I witnessed it up close. What is certain is that Inzaghi Jr. must not allow Yamal, and Raphinha to face the defence directly: in the open field, the talent of the Barcelona star is difficult to contain, and Lewandowski is a cold-blooded killer in the box. But Inter are adept at shrinking their defence and maintaining their balance while not giving up opportunities on the counter-attack.

The winner will be born in the half-time battle. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are a dynamic combination of Barella, Calhanoglu and Mkhitaryan. The two Barcelona midfielders are adept at turning defence into attack in an instant, thus creating convenience for the forwards. But if I had to choose, I would still end up favouring the Nerazzurri's midfield configuration. Few teams in Europe have such a well-balanced midfield system.

For Inter Milan, the away and home schedule may be an advantage, not to mention that the first leg will be played at Montjuïc rather than Camp Nou. Why? I think Inzaghi's disciples will be able to start the away journey with a more focused and relaxed mindset, just like they did against Bayern. And the boost of the home stadium in the promotion of the life-and-death battle should not be underestimated.

Speaking of finals, who would be the ideal opponent assuming a successful qualification? Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are both strong teams, with the latter also having Donnarumma in their squad. Not only did he perform a miracle against Liverpool, but he also impressed against Aston Villa. However, the Gunners' match against Real Madrid was impressive in terms of dynamism, technical literacy and defensive resilience. Inter Milan may be a tougher opponent than Paris.