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30.04.2025
30.04.2025
- Athletic Bilbao - Manchester UnitedWhen: 21:00
Where: UEFA Europa League Semi-final First Leg
Athletic Bilbao
Under the direction of Ernesto Valverde, the Basque team shows a confident performance in La Liga and the Europa League. They are particularly strong at home: in the Europa League, they have won all six home games, scoring 14 goals and conceding only 2. In attack, the Williams brothers Nico and Iñaki as well as midfielder Oihan Sancet are key players, although Sancet is injured and will miss the match. Defensively, Athletic is one of the most reliable teams in Spain, which makes them particularly difficult to play against on their home turf.
Manchester United
Despite poor results in the Premier League, Rúben Amorim's team presents itself much stronger in the Europa League. They are currently unbeaten in eight games and have scored 28 goals in this competition. Bruno Fernandes remains the creative linchpin in the offense, supported by Rasmus Højlund and Cody Gakpo. Personnel absences, including Lisandro Martínez and Diogo Dalot, however, especially weaken the defense.
Injuries
Athletic will miss Oihan Sancet due to a hip injury, and the experienced Óscar de Marcos no longer has a guaranteed starting spot. Manchester United must do without several important players, including Dalot, Zirkzee, and Martínez. Whether Amad Diallo, Toby Collier, and Matthijs de Ligt will be fit in time is uncertain.
Head-to-Head
The previous encounters clearly speak against Manchester United. The last meeting in 2012 in the Europa League was decisively won by the Basques with two victories.
Match Prediction
With home advantage and greater freshness, Athletic Bilbao faces a promising semi-final first leg. Their stable defense will likely neutralize Manchester United’s offensive efforts, especially as United is weakened by injuries. Given the defensive qualities of both teams and the importance of the match, a rather cautious and low-scoring duel is expected.
My tip: Under 2.5 goals (1.68)Tip
- Barcelona - InterWhen: 21:00
Where: UEFA Champions League
Barcelona
Barcelona are currently in absolute top form. Hansi Flick's side have already won two titles (Supercopa and Copa del Rey) and are still on course to win the league and the Champions League. In the top flight, the Catalans are particularly impressive in attack: with an average of 3.08 goals per game, they have the most dangerous attacking line in the competition. Even without the injured Robert Lewandowski, the attacking power remains high - Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo are ready to fill the gap effectively. Barcelona are still unbeaten at home in 2025 and are extremely dominant.
Inter
Inter showed impressive stability for a long time, but the last few weeks have revealed major problems. Three defeats in a row and not a single goal of their own - the form curve is clearly pointing downwards. The heavy workload seems to be affecting the ageing squad. The loss of Benjamin Pavard in defense is particularly serious, and Marcus Thuram's participation is also questionable. Inter also showed defensive weaknesses against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, which could quickly be punished in Barcelona.
Injuries
Barcelona are missing Lewandowski and goalkeeper ter Stegen, among others. Inter will be without Pavard and Carboni, while Thuram is doubtful.
Direct encounters
The last time these teams met in the knockout phase was in 2010, when Inter surprisingly came out on top. Now, however, the signs are clearly in Barcelona's favor. The Catalans' home record this season is impressive, while Inter have weakened away from home recently.
Prediction for the match
Barcelona will go into the match with a lot of offensive power and should be able to exploit Inter's defensive weaknesses. The absences on both sides weaken Inter considerably more. Despite the Italians' strong defense in the group stage, Barcelona currently appear too dominant, especially in their own stadium.
My tip: Barcelona win (1.68)Tip
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