Robert Lewandowski will begin on the bench for Barcelona’s crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Inter Milan after recovering from a hamstring injury, confirmed coach Hansi Flick on Monday.
The Poland captain missed last week’s thrilling first leg in Catalonia due to the injury sustained against Celta Vigo last month, but he is now fit to return as a substitute at the San Siro, where the tie stands level at 3-3.
“Everything is progressing well, he’s much better than expected, and he’s ready to be on the bench. If we need him, he can come on,” Flick told reporters.
Lewandowski’s return is a significant boost for Barcelona, as the prolific striker has netted 40 goals this season across all competitions. Barca must secure a win in Milan to advance to the final.
Flick’s side is aiming for a remarkable quadruple in his first season in charge, having already claimed both the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey by defeating Real Madrid.
Barcelona also lead Madrid by four points in La Liga with just four matches remaining.
“I did imagine it (the quadruple bid),” said Dani Olmo. “I want to win everything. At Barcelona, we have the team to still be competing for all the trophies at this stage of the season. We know what we need to do, and we’re committed to our style of play. We’ve got energy, motivation, and we’ll give it our all.”
Olmo also addressed Inter’s plan to double-team Lamine Yamal, acknowledging that the 17-year-old winger caused significant problems for the Italian defense in the first leg, scoring a stunning goal and hitting the woodwork twice. Inter coach Simone Inzaghi has indicated that Yamal will receive “special attention” from his defenders on Tuesday.
“That just means we’ll have another player free,” said Olmo. “Lamine has shown he can play against one, two, or even three defenders. If that happens, we’ll support him. Our strategy won’t change. If they focus on him, other players will have space to create chances.”
The winner of Tuesday’s match will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Munich later this month.
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