Barcelona can still win the Treble after beating Real Madrid 3-2 at the weekend in the Copa del Rey Final
On April 30, 2025, the first leg of the Champions League semi-final will take place at the ‘Olimpico’ stadium in Barcelona, featuring a clash between Catalan giants Barcelona and Milan’s Inter. I propose a bet on one of the teams to win.
Barcelona
Under the leadership of Hansi Flick, Barcelona is showcasing nearly flawless football this season. The Catalans are among the two teams from Europe’s top leagues still in contention for the treble. Besides Barcelona, French side PSG is also vying for this achievement—possibly the future opponent of the Blaugrana in the Champions League final, who knows?
Over the weekend, Barcelona secured their first trophy of the current season by defeating Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup final. The match was extremely emotional and dramatic: the title was decided by a goal scored in the final minutes of extra time, further intensifying the excitement.
In La Liga, Flick’s team is also confidently leading, four points ahead of Real Madrid. Even the upcoming head-to-head clash at the end of the season is not critically important: even in the event of a loss, the Catalans maintain excellent chances of calmly securing the championship.
Since the beginning of 2025, Barcelona has played 28 matches across all competitions and suffered only one defeat—in the return leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund, losing away 1-3. During this period, Hansi Flick’s team also recorded five draws and secured 22 victories, demonstrating outstanding stability and a high level of play.
The two-legged duel with Inter will be separated by an away match against Valladolid—the worst team in La Liga this season. Valladolid has already been relegated from the Primera and is essentially playing out the season without any competitive motivation. This allows Barcelona to focus all their energy and attention solely on the clash with the Milan club.
Inter
Unlike Barcelona, Milan’s Inter approaches the head-to-head duel in less than ideal spirits. Shortly before the upcoming match, Simone Inzaghi’s team was knocked out of the Italian Cup, suffering a painful defeat in the semi-final against arch-rivals AC Milan, losing 0-3.
The troubles for the ‘Nerazzurri’ did not end there. In the last two Serie A rounds, Inter failed to earn any points, narrowly losing both matches: first away to Bologna, then at home to Roma. These slip-ups allowed Napoli to take the lead in the standings: with four rounds remaining in the championship, the Neapolitans lead Inter by three points.
Thus, in just a week, Inzaghi’s side went from treble contenders to one of the season’s biggest disappointments, crashing out of the Cup and losing their lead in the race for the Scudetto. The chances of ending the season with a trophy are rapidly dwindling, which only heightens the significance of the confrontation with Barcelona.
Nevertheless, Simone Inzaghi has already proven his ability to prepare the team for crucial matches. In the Champions League quarter-finals, Inter knocked out Bayern Munich, winning the first, away match 2-1—a success that ultimately proved decisive over the two legs. Whether something similar will occur in Catalonia remains to be seen.
Barcelona: Szczesny, Kounde, Kubarsi, Martinez, Martin, Pedri, De Jong, Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha, Torres.
Inter: Sommer, Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco, Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Frattesi, Martinez, Taremi.