Inter, Barcelona evenly poised for Champions League semis second leg

Scoring three away goals might have given Inter Milan confidence heading into the return leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinals against Barcelona on Tuesday if not for the the immense talent their opponents boast.

Inter were 2-0 up after 21 minutes in the first leg before 17-year-old Spainish star Lamine Yamal scored a stunning goal that sparked Barcelona's fight to a 3-3 draw at home in a pulsating contest packed with spectacular goals.

Stopping Yamal was hard enough, but then came Raphinha – another potential Ballon d'Or contender. With his long-range shooting and speedy attacks through the middle and down the flanks, he is a permanent threat. The Brazilian has netted 12 goals in the competition, one more than his teammate Robert Lewandowski.

However, for all of Barcelona's firepower, the defense remains vulnerable and coach Hansi Flick is under pressure to make the right calls. He kept Wojciech Szczesny in goal, even though No. 1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen has recovered from a long-term knee injury and played in Saturday's 2-1 win at Valladolid.

Players and coaches have been warning about the damaging effects of a congested calendar, and one need look no further than Barcelona and Inter for examples. Barcelona's defender Jules Kounde sustained a left hamstring injury in the first leg and Lewandowski has been nursing a minor left leg injury for two weeks. Lewandowski has netted 40 goals this season and needs one more goal to hit 100 for Barcelona. Inter's captain Lautaro Martinez also went off injured in the first leg. His strike partner Marcus Thuram, who scored a superb back-heel flick in the first leg, only returned from a thigh injury last week.

Barcelona are looking to win the Champions League for the sixth time, while Inter seek a fourth title after winning their third in 2010 and beating Barca in the semifinals.