Gary Lineker has named his most popular groups for the 2024 Champions League ultimate however admits certainly one of them may not make it. The semi-finals are finely poised after the primary legs, with PSG holding a slender 1-0 lead over Arsenal following a decent victory on the Emirates. In the meantime, Barcelona and Inter Milan fought to an exciting 3-3 draw within the first leg, leaving all the pieces to play for of their return fixture on the San Siro.
Lineker, talking on The Relaxation is Soccer podcast, acknowledged that the competitors is fiercely aggressive this season. Nevertheless, he believes his former membership, Barcelona, will overcome Inter Milan of their upcoming second leg. “I nonetheless fancy Barcelona, however it’s unattainable to foretell,” mentioned Lineker. “It’ll be like Wednesday evening as a result of that’s how Barcelona play house and away—they’ll again themselves to outscore the opposition.”
Barcelona’s attacking prowess and their capability to complete possibilities, as evidenced by their thrilling first leg, give Lineker confidence that they’ll progress. He additionally praised Inter’s efficiency, noting standout moments like Marcus Thuram’s end and Denzel Dumfries’ glorious help.
Whereas Lineker predicts Barcelona and PSG to fulfill within the ultimate, he admits he would favor to see Arsenal advance, acknowledging that the Premier League facet’s job is difficult given their first-leg loss. “I don’t assume Arsenal are utterly out of it, however it’s a troublesome ask for them to go there with a comparatively younger facet… effectively, ‘younger facet,’ have a look at Barcelona’s,” Lineker mentioned.
The chances are stacked towards Arsenal, with PSG now the favorites to win the competitors at 11/10, adopted by Barcelona at 9/4, Inter Milan at 4/1, and Arsenal at 7/1. Arsenal’s midfielder Mikel Merino remained optimistic after their defeat, stating that regardless of the setback, the workforce has the flexibility and motivation to show issues round in Paris.
For Lineker, a Barcelona vs. Arsenal ultimate is his excellent state of affairs, however he understands the problem of overcoming PSG’s formidable facet. “Barcelona vs Inter may very well be something, however I couldn’t go towards that Barca workforce,” he added.
