The coach, who had already indicated that Lewandowski would start on the bench (with Ferran Torres expected to spearhead the attack), did not explicitly reveal replacements for the injured starters Koundé and Balde, though potential lineup changes are already being speculated.
Inter's dangerous display on the wings with the right-footed Dumfries and the left-footed Dimarco coincides with the absence of the usual full-backs, Koundé and Balde, due to injury at Barça. Hansi Flick will analyse the replacements in detail because in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final played last Wednesday at Montjuïc (3-3) Simone Inzaghi's 3-5-2 posed problems for him, especially with the runs of the aforementioned Dumfries. That day Koundé and Gerard Martín, a specific left-back without Balde, started, but the centre-backs Eric Garcia, after the Frenchman's injury, and Iñigo Martínez, relocated after Araujo came on at half-time for Gerard who was having a hard time.
Eric, with the permission of a natural '2' like Héctor Fort, will be on the right. He is good for everything, he is in good shape and goes well over the top without being a 'giant'. But coming out at left-back with Iñigo, the head of the backline to throw the offside line, could distort the team too much and it is sensed that Gerard Martín, at a high level in Valladolid, will repeat. With Araujo, however, another defensive 'tower' would be gained for Inter's menacing set pieces. Flick will decide.
With Pedri, De Jong, Lamine, Olmo and Raphinha safe, the other unknown was solved by Flick: Lewandowski, with the medical clearance by the skin of his teeth, will wait on the bench and the '9' will be Ferran. And on Saturday it was already announced that Szczesny would play without the need to re-register Ter Stegen.