Barcelona were their usual composed and controlled selves as they comfortably beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the Nou Camp. Inter were defensively solid until the final period but never threatened Ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal.
Barcelona Beat Inter Comfortably
A Leisurely Start to the Game
Certainly, the opening exchanges reflected the two sides’ poll positions in Group B. The pace was leisurely, with neither side looking to risk anything too early on.
Arthur, Rakitic and Busquets strolled around exchanging neat passes, without really threatening. Certainly, they missed the injured Lionel Messi drifting into pockets of space between the Inter defence and their miserly midfield shield.
If Inter wanted to come and soak up pressure, that’s all they did for the opening half hour. Coutinho looked to take the creative initiative in the absence of Messi, with nice touches that dragged D’Ambrosio beyond where he’d wish to be. Inter had no meaningful route out of their own half and, bar a few speculative Icardi efforts, did little to threaten the hosts.
The Argentine was played in by a cushioned Vecino header but, under the cautious challenge of Lenglet, slipped and failed to connect. Moments later at the other end, a slick Barcelona move presented a good chance for Rafinha, but he also scuffed the shot.
The Brazilian was a surprise inclusion in Barcelona’s front three, with Ousmane Dembélé confusingly left on the bench.
Rafinha Opens the Scoring
However, his selection was justified after he made no mistake with his second chance on the half-hour mark. He swept the ball out wide to Suarez, who clipped a delicious low cross back into Rafinha’s path. He finished with a side-foot volley into the corner and Inter, for all their solid defending, they were 1-0 down.
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A lot of Inter’s side still looked weary after their last-gasp win against AC Milan in the derby on Sunday night. Borja Valero struggled to get on the ball, and Ivan Perisic was not his usual sprightly self.
One positive was the poise and control of young centre-back Milan Škriniar; he kept Suarez under close guard and was calm in possession when striding out with the ball.
Inter Started the Second Half Brightly
Inter looked much more lively as the second half began, with Valero dropping further into midfield and demanding the ball. Matteo Politano, brought on to replace Candreva, made an immediate impact. A whipped cross caused confusion in the Barcelona six-yard box and then blasted a great opportunity over the bar.
Chances started to appear more regularly as the second half unfolded. Luis Suarez cut inside but fired straight at Handanovic. Then Lenglet latched onto a loose ball from a wayward Asamoah header, but his shot was saved well by the Slovenian.
Barcelona stroked the ball around clinically, clocking up 500 passes by the hour mark with metronomic precision. Usually, these were via the calm feet of Busquets or the deft turns of Arthur, who looked to release Suarez and Coutinho whenever possible.
The latter rattled the crossbar after a swift, sweeping counter-attack from an Inter corner. Inter were still content to keep it tight with their low block and dual midfield pivots, with Vecino and Brozovic playing more defensively than in their recent Serie A wins.
But Inter Were Picked Off in the Final Ten Minutes
The introduction of the lively Keita Balde did provide some spark as the game entered the final ten minutes but, as Inter began to push, they left spaces in behind that Barcelona exploited. They conjured up a goal of exquisite execution, with the final strike coming from an unlikely source.
Jordi Alba, still full of energy, linked swiftly with Vidal and continued his run. The perfect pass soon found his feet, from Rakitic of course, and he swept the ball past Handanovic into the far corner. With that, the game was well and truly over.
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Although Barcelona beat Inter, Tottenham shockingly drew with PSV Eindhoven, meaning these two are in pole position to go through to the next round. Beyond that, Inter might struggle to make much more of an impact. They are effective at bullying lesser teams but, as they found tonight, stronger sides will eventually pick them apart.
On the other hand, few would bet against Barcelona reaching at least the semi-finals of this year’s competition. Even without their Messiah, they were at times functional, at times beautiful, and controlling throughout.
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