Great emotions in the Champions League. Polish teams fight

The San Siro could see a duel between talented forwards: Lewandowski on one side, and Argentine Lautaro Martinez on the other. However, both have had health problems recently and it is not certain that they will be fit to play for the full 90 minutes (or more, in the event of a draw).

Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona's German coach Hansi Flick has already decided that Ferran Torres will start in the first minute of Barcelona's attack, and the Pole, who has been sidelined since April 19, will get his chance in the second half. If he manages to get on the scoresheet, he will score his 100th goal for the club.

Martinez, on the other hand, suffered the injury during the match in Barcelona and initially it seemed he would not recover in time to play in the return match. However, Sky reported that the Argentine had decided to undergo double training and increased physical and rehabilitation exercises in order to take part in Tuesday's match at San Siro.

The statistics are not optimistic for Lewandowski's team and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. In their history of appearances in the semi-finals of the Champions League, the Catalans have managed to win only two matches. They have drawn two others and suffered 11 defeats. Inter, on the other hand, are unbeaten at home in the Champions League since September 2022.

On the other hand, the 3-3 draw with Barcelona takes on significance when you consider that in the previous 12 Champions League appearances this season, Inter had conceded a total of... five goals. The fact that the "Pride of Catalonia" did not win was largely determined by set pieces and the hosts' huge height advantage in Tuesday's return match.

"Inter can't just defend now, they also have to try to score. Our team is playing with good style and confidence. We know what we're capable of. We have 90 minutes ahead of us and we hope that's enough to qualify for the final," Flick said.

Inter's players are Nicola Zalewski and Piotr Zieliński. Both played from the first minute in Saturday's match in the Italian top league against Verona (1:0), so it can be assumed that this time they will sit on the bench.

However, if all four players from both clubs appeared on the pitch, it would be the first Champions League semi-final in history with so many Poles.

Apart from Szczęsny, Kiwior, who has become an important part of Arsenal's defence in recent weeks, is more likely to be certain of a start. The Gunners may have lost to PSG, but they only conceded one goal, something that the Parisians' other rivals have rarely managed to do in this edition of the Champions League. The Londoners may be more concerned by the fact that they themselves did not score a goal, for which the Italian goalkeeper of the French champions, Gianluigi Donnarumma, received much praise.

"That's what a goalkeeper's job is - to save the team. In the semi-finals, every player has to be at a high level," commented PSG coach Luis Enrique.

Ousmane Dembele, who scored the winning goal in London last Wednesday, is struggling with an injury and his participation in the return match is in doubt.

The line-up for the current edition's final could be identical for the women's and men's competition. The teams of Barcelona, ​​with Ewa Pajor in the line-up, and Arsenal have already advanced to the decisive match of the first competition, scheduled for May 24 in Lisbon. The most important match of the men's CL will take place a week later in Munich. (PAP)

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Source of information: Polish Press Agency