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Barcelona facing grueling trip for Inter semifinal
Source: Agencies |
April 19, 2010, Monday
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BARCELONA will have to overcome the absence of Andres Iniesta and a grueling road trip when it continues its Champions League defense with a semifinal match at Inter Milan tomorrow.
The Spanish powerhouse is favorite to win the title and become the first team since AC Milan in 1990 to be European champion for a second straight season.
But it will be making the 725-kilometer (450-mile) journey to northern Italy by bus over two days because of the cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland that has grounded flights throughout Europe.
And key midfielder Iniesta will not be in the squad for the first-leg after a recurrence of a right thigh injury that already kept him out of the starting lineup for the quarterfinal victory over Arsenal.
Inter will be grateful for any assistance from circumstances after watching Barcelona beat Arsenal 6-3 on aggregate.
World and European player of the year Lionel Messi sat out training Sunday but is in coach Pep Guardiola's 20-man squad and is set to start, two weeks after scoring all four goals in the 4-1 second-leg win over the Gunners.
With leftback Eric Abidal back in the squad after recovering from a thigh injury, Iniesta is the only high-profile absentee.
The 25-year-old Spain international was hurt on March 27. He returned as a second-half substitute in the 4-1 win over Arsenal and subsequent Spanish league win over Real Madrid, but is out for a month after he broke down again this week.
Barcelona slumped to a 0-0 draw with Espanyol on Saturday, a day after Inter kept its hold on the Serie A lead by beating 10-man Juventus 2-0.
Maicon scored a spectacular volley and Samuel Eto'o, who scored in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Manchester United in last season's final, added a second in injury time.
"It was a difficult game and we were nervous," Eto'o said. "But the important thing was that we won and now we can look forward to Tuesday's match."
Bayern Munich, which won the last of its four titles in 2001, hosts Lyon on Wednesday in the first leg of the other semifinal.
Bayern Munich warmed up for its first semifinal in nine years by routing Hannover 7-0 to retain its Bundesliga lead.
Arjen Robben, who scored the goal that put Bayern past Manchester United on away goals in the quarterfinals, scored a hat trick while Ivica Olic and Thomas Mueller scored two goals each.
"This game didn't take too much energy," said Bayern coach Louis van Gaal, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995. "It was fun. It was good preparation."
Lyon rallied twice Saturday to salvage a 2-2 draw in the French league against Bordeaux, the team it beat in the Champions League quarterfinals.
The Spanish powerhouse is favorite to win the title and become the first team since AC Milan in 1990 to be European champion for a second straight season.
But it will be making the 725-kilometer (450-mile) journey to northern Italy by bus over two days because of the cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland that has grounded flights throughout Europe.
And key midfielder Iniesta will not be in the squad for the first-leg after a recurrence of a right thigh injury that already kept him out of the starting lineup for the quarterfinal victory over Arsenal.
Inter will be grateful for any assistance from circumstances after watching Barcelona beat Arsenal 6-3 on aggregate.
World and European player of the year Lionel Messi sat out training Sunday but is in coach Pep Guardiola's 20-man squad and is set to start, two weeks after scoring all four goals in the 4-1 second-leg win over the Gunners.
With leftback Eric Abidal back in the squad after recovering from a thigh injury, Iniesta is the only high-profile absentee.
The 25-year-old Spain international was hurt on March 27. He returned as a second-half substitute in the 4-1 win over Arsenal and subsequent Spanish league win over Real Madrid, but is out for a month after he broke down again this week.
Barcelona slumped to a 0-0 draw with Espanyol on Saturday, a day after Inter kept its hold on the Serie A lead by beating 10-man Juventus 2-0.
Maicon scored a spectacular volley and Samuel Eto'o, who scored in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Manchester United in last season's final, added a second in injury time.
"It was a difficult game and we were nervous," Eto'o said. "But the important thing was that we won and now we can look forward to Tuesday's match."
Bayern Munich, which won the last of its four titles in 2001, hosts Lyon on Wednesday in the first leg of the other semifinal.
Bayern Munich warmed up for its first semifinal in nine years by routing Hannover 7-0 to retain its Bundesliga lead.
Arjen Robben, who scored the goal that put Bayern past Manchester United on away goals in the quarterfinals, scored a hat trick while Ivica Olic and Thomas Mueller scored two goals each.
"This game didn't take too much energy," said Bayern coach Louis van Gaal, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995. "It was fun. It was good preparation."
Lyon rallied twice Saturday to salvage a 2-2 draw in the French league against Bordeaux, the team it beat in the Champions League quarterfinals.
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