Inter looking to power back up ahead of Champions League match at Barcelona

MILAN (AP) — Strange things happen when Inter Milan plays Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals.

The last time the two teams met in the final four of Europe’s elite club competition, in 2010, Barcelona had to make a 15-hour journey by bus to Milan after an ash cloud caused by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull shut down airspace.

Barcelona lost that first leg 3-1 and a stout defensive performance by Inter in the return match saw it advance to the final 3-2 on aggregate — where it beat Bayern Munich to clinch a historic treble under Jose Mourinho.

Inter fortunately didn't have to make a similarly arduous journey despite an unprecedented blackout bringing much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill Monday.

Power had almost fully returned to Spain early Tuesday morning and Inter’s charter flight took off as scheduled for Barcelona at around 5 p.m. local time ahead of the first leg of their semifinal on Wednesday.

Barcelona’s 17-year-old star Lamine Yamal said he was caught at the team’s training grounds on the outskirts of the city when power went out just after noon on Monday.

“The truth is that we didn’t know what to do. I was with my teammates all day at the training center,” Yamal said on Tuesday. “The blackout made us all very nervous. But of course now we are only thinking about the semifinal that we are very motivated to play.”

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi will be hoping his team can power back up for the game as well.

Inter heads to Barcelona following a dire run of results that has seen its dreams of another treble evaporate.

For the first time in more than 13 years, Inter has lost three straight matches without scoring a goal.

Since a 2-2 draw against Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinals, the Nerazzurri have lost 1-0 to both Bologna and Roma in Serie A and 3-0 to AC Milan in the second leg of their Italian Cup semifinal.

That has also seen them been leapfrogged at the top of the Serie A table by Napoli, slipping three points behind the new league leader.

“We must always be ambitious, we have always shown that," Inzaghi said Tuesday. "We don’t know how the season will end: the league no longer depends on us, in the Champions League we are among the best four teams in Europe.

"These guys have given everything, clearly the last week was not positive but the team is fine, they are hungry, they will go into this semifinal with their heads held high, with a lot of desire and then we will see who will go to the final.”

Those three games, however, had something in common: Marcus Thuram was missing.

Thuram, who has been out with a left thigh issue, has scored 17 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions for Inter this season.

Without the France forward, Lautaro Martinez has appeared fatigued attempting to carry Inter’s attack. And Marko Arnautovic, Thuram’s replacement, has been ineffective.

But Thuram has returned to training, although it remains to be seen whether he is able to start on Wednesday.

“Thuram trained with the team for the first time today, we hadn’t seen him since Bayern,” Inzaghi said. “We did some good work — short — he showed some good signs, but I have to evaluate tomorrow morning and I’ll talk to him again.”

Inter is seeking a second Champions League final in three seasons after it lost to Manchester City in the trophy match in 2023.

AP writer Joseph Wilson contributed to this report from Barcelona, Spain.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Inter Milan's head coach Simone Inzaghi stands on the sideline during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella lies on the pitch after missing a chance to score during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Inter Milan's Marko Arnautovic reacts at the end of the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram reacts after a missed scoring opportunity during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Inter Milan's head coach Simone Inzaghi reacts during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Anthony Edwards let it fly from 30 feet just before the halftime buzzer and his 3-pointer provided some much-needed momentum that Minnesota took right into a commanding third quarter.

Edwards also spoke up to his team at halftime and Chris Finch credited that pep talk for setting the tone ahead of an impressive second half.

“At halftime, Coach came in and said we’re playing like we already won the series pretty much, I don’t really like that," Edwards said, adding, “I told them we’ve only got two wins."

Edwards scored 30 points, Julius Randle had 31 and the Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 117-110 on Monday night for a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

Staying close at halftime was key.

“It was huge because it felt like one of those games where we were going to struggle to find a rhythm,” Finch said. “I thought we might be down eight, 10 at halftime with the way that we had played. Fortunately, I thought his shot made it pretty much an even game and if we came out with the type of purpose that we needed to I felt we were going to be OK.”

Now, it's back home to Minneapolis for the Wolves with a chance to clinch the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Warriors will still be without Stephen Curry, who sat out his third game in a row and is scheduled to have his strained left hamstring re-evaluated that day.

“We’re not going to Superman this thing,” Draymond Green said. “If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will.”

Edwards made consecutive 3-pointers and scored 11 total points in a decisive 17-0 Minnesota run that put the Timberwolves ahead 85-68 late in the third. They led 97-77 going into the fourth and the Warriors couldn't catch up.

Edwards — coming off a 36-point performance in a Game 3 — hit that big shot that pulled Minnesota within 60-58 at the break. And the Wolves delivered in the second half again after also trailing by two points at halftime in a 102-97 victory in Game 3.

Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench to score 23 points and convert 11 of 12 free throws for the Warriors, following up his 30-point performance in Game 3 with another gem.

Jaden McDaniels added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota.

Buddy Hield went down briefly 4:17 before halftime after McDaniels grabbed at the guard's neck and pulled the back of his jersey. The play went to replay review as fans chanted “You can't do that!” but was deemed a common foul rather than a flagrant.

Golden State has now dropped three in a row since Curry hurt his leg early in Game 1 last Tuesday night.

The Warriors were slow getting their offense and 3-point shooting going in a 102-97 loss Saturday and it was much of the same this game.

Jimmy Butler and Green scored 14 points apiece and Hield 13.

Even without Curry, Finch's defensive game plan focused on keeping the Warriors from their dangerous 3-point flurries — and Golden State wound up 8 of 27 from deep.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) goes up to shoot against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the first half of Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, reacts from the bench during the first half of Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, May 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shoots against Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) during the first half of Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)