'A very young team' - Marco Materazzi convinced Inter's 'maturity' will prove pivotal in blockbuster Champions League semi-final against youthful Barcelona

Former Italy and Inter defender Materazzi spoke after the Italian outfit's 4-3 win on aggregate over Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and shed light on his former team's chances against Barcelona, their opponents in the semi-finals, asserting that the Nerazzurri's "maturity" will help them eliminate "a very young" side.

“Honestly, I was more worried before Inter-Bayern. Barcelona is a team full of talent, with incredible strikers, from [Robert] Lewandowski to Lamine Yamal, capable of scoring against top sides, but they are also a very young team. I believe Inter’s maturity will help [Simone] Inzaghi,” Materazzi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Indeed, Barca possess one of the youngest squad in La Liga, with an average age of just 25 years. In contrast, the average age of Inter's starting XI is almost 30 years. The Serie A outfit consists of seasoned campaigners in Lautaro Martinez, Yann Sommer, Alessandro Bastoni, Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella. Meanwhile, the Catalans have the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, both teenagers, a 22-year-old Pedri and a 20-year-old Gavi.

Both Barca and Inter are currently the leaders in their respective league. These two teams will meet for the first leg at the Montjuic Stadium on April 30, before the return leg at San Siro is played on May 6.