Barcelona's impressive run under coach Pep Guardiola is in danger of suffering its first setback unless the Champions League title holders can overturn a two-goal deficit against Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Barcelona has won six trophies with Guardiola at the helm, but faces the daunting task of having to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit against an Inter side led by Jose Mourinho, one of Europe's most successful coaches in recent years.
Barcelona must win a contest where key players could be missing on both sides. A 2-0 victory is the minimum needed against the Serie A champions for the Catalan club to reach the May 22 final at rival Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
"It's one of the most important matches in our recent history," defender Gerard Pique said, before calling on the 90,000 Camp Nou fans to do their part to help the home team. "I hope the atmosphere makes the Inter players hate their profession for 90 minutes."
Mourinho's team handed Guardiola his worst defeat in nearly two seasons in charge, limiting the Catalan club's ability to find space and unleash it's dangerous offense led by Lionel Messi. Barcelona expects more of the same in the return leg.
"They like to play with the lead. In Italian football it's always the same: defend at the back and make it very difficult to create occasions and find space," Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said. "It's clear that this is the perfect game for them.
"But Barca has to be the Barca of recent years."
Guardiola will direct his team to pressure, attack and look to score goals.
"We mustn't get carried away by anxiety," Pique said. "Even if they score, which could happen, we have to keep on trying. We have to be ambitious and score as many goals as possible."
Barcelona has shown it can beat Inter at home, getting a 2-0 victory in the group phase after a scoreless draw in Italy. It also rested several regulars for Saturday's 3-1 win over last-place Xerez, which allowed it to stay one point ahead of Madrid in the Spanish league.
But the Spanish champions will be without captain Carles Puyol (suspended), while left back Eric Abidal (leg) is a game-time decision and midfielder Andres Iniesta (leg) looks unlikely to return.
Barcelona has overcome larger deficits before, and the last time it rallied from a 3-1 deficit was against Mourinho's former team Chelsea in the 2000 quarterfinals when it secured a 5-1 victory at the Camp Nou.
Inter has a major injury worry with playmaker Wesley Sneijder struggling with a a left thigh muscle problem.
Since transferring from Madrid, Sneijder has become the key to Inter's attack and set up multiple goals for forwards Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o. The Netherlands midfielder also scored in last week's first leg.
In Barcelona, most believe talk of Sneijder missing the match is just another one of Mourinho's mind games. But if the Dutchman does miss the match, Mourinho could be forced to move Maicon up from right back to an attacking midfield position as Dejan Stankovic is suspended.
Although two-time winner champion Inter has never won a semifinal away leg in Europe's elite club competition, it has advanced from all but four of 43 series in which it won the first leg. Inter, which last reached the final in 1972, also arrives on the heels of retaking the lead in Serie A with a 3-1 win over Atalanta.
"This result should boost our morale in view of the Barcelona game," Inter president Massimo Moratti said. "Right now we're thinking only about the Champions League, but clearly as far as our confidence goes, retaking the lead really helps."
Inter striker Mario Balotelli may not feature after throwing his shirt to the ground in response to jeers by home supporters in the first leg.
"There is a possibility of Balotelli going with the team to Barcelona, but it's more likely that everything will be patched up after the Camp Nou game," Moratti said.
