Gary Lineker has named his preferred teams for the 2024 Champions League final but admits one of them might not make it. The semi-finals are finely poised after the first legs, with PSG holding a slender 1-0 lead over Arsenal following a tight victory at the Emirates. Meanwhile, Barcelona and Inter Milan fought to a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg, leaving everything to play for in their return fixture at the San Siro.
Lineker, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, acknowledged that the competition is fiercely competitive this season. However, he believes his former club, Barcelona, will overcome Inter Milan in their upcoming second leg. “I still fancy Barcelona, but it’s impossible to predict,” said Lineker. “It’ll be like Wednesday night because that’s how Barcelona play home and away—they’ll back themselves to outscore the opposition.”
Barcelona’s attacking prowess and their ability to finish chances, as evidenced by their thrilling first leg, give Lineker confidence that they’ll progress. He also praised Inter’s performance, noting standout moments like Marcus Thuram’s finish and Denzel Dumfries’ excellent assist.
While Lineker predicts Barcelona and PSG to meet in the final, he admits he would prefer to see Arsenal advance, acknowledging that the Premier League side’s task is challenging given their first-leg loss. “I don’t think Arsenal are completely out of it, but it’s a tough ask for them to go there with a relatively young side… well, ‘young side,’ look at Barcelona’s,” Lineker said.
The odds are stacked against Arsenal, with PSG now the favorites to win the competition at 11/10, followed 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 despite the setback, the team has the ability and motivation to turn things around in Paris.
For Lineker, a Barcelona vs. Arsenal final is his ideal scenario, but he understands the difficulty of overcoming PSG’s formidable side. “Barcelona vs Inter could be anything, but I couldn’t go against that Barca team,” he added.