At 21:00 CEST on Wednesday, Inter will face Barcelona at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in the first leg of the semi-final tie between the sides in the UEFA Champions League.

On the eve of the clash, Lautaro Martinez sat alongside Simone Inzaghi and responded to journalists' questions:

Barcelona are the team that score the most goals in Europe. What do you think about that?

"We know all about their attacking threat, and we need to do a great job defensively. This season, we’ve defended well, proving we are one of the best teams."

Inter are coming off a difficult period. Are the issues mental or physical?

"These things can happen at this stage. Until now, we've been working well, with the exception of last week. We were used to winning, and it hurts to lose, but the team is in good shape and the group is united. We're ready to play this match."

You’ve scored here in your last two appearances - what kind of player are you today?

"I definitely now have a few more years under my belt, and I have an even greater desire to keep winning and playing in finals. I want to approach this semi-final the right way - we’re excited to be here."

As a leader, what gives you the most confidence heading into tomorrow?

"I’ve seen how we’ve trained and how the group is doing. It's been tough to lose our last three matches. However, we’ve worked really well, and we’re eager to get back on the pitch and turn things around. Together with the staff, we’re working to give everything out on the pitch."

How important is it to have Thuram back?

"Marcus is a crucial player, and I’m glad we’ve got him back. We don’t know the starting line-up yet, but it’s important that he’s available. He can really help us in this final stretch of the season."

Inter have seemed more focused in the Champions League than in other competitions. Is that really the case?

"I don’t agree - we play to win in every competition. That’s our mentality: we’re at a prestigious club and we always have to aim to go all the way. Of course, the Champions League is very important, but maybe in the league we haven’t always been as focused as we should have."