Match review, Barcelona 2 - 1 Inter

BARCELONA - It hurts now, but we have to focus on the numerous positives from last night’s performance. Inter lost to Barcelona in the end, but their first half was sublime: a sharp defence, building from the back, cutting straight through Barcelona’s press, driving into the open spaces on the huge Camp Nou pitch. Sanchez and Lautaro both impressed up top, as did the rest of their teammates all over the pitch. It was a truly solid performance from the Nerazzurri, both in execution and tactical preparation, and more than anything Inter showed a lot of character yesterday evening.

The Nerazzurri’s first half was a masterpiece from start to finish: Lautaro Martinez’s goal after just two minutes (1m 59s), and six shots on ter Stegen’s goal (who made some miraculous saves to keep El Toro from a second), five of which came inside Barça’s box. The Nerazzurri’s play out from the back was at the heart of all of their good work, inspired as always by Brozovic who succeeded in taking big but decisive risks in all of Inter’s build-up play. Many would have trembled in the face of this team so renowned for their touch and ball possession, but this didn’t stop our Croatian maestro who ended the match with a pass accuracy of 91.2%. As is often the case, his display was what allowed Sensi to thrive, with the Italian making 31 passes in Barcelona’s half. Brozovic was also a fundamental part of the Nerazzurri defence, with four challenges and three clearances to cap off a masterful performance.

The second half was more complicated, especially after Suarez’s individual brilliance to make it 1-1. Barcelona picked up the pace after Vidal’s entrance to the pitch, a real spark brought off the bench by Valverde. The Chilean upped the pressure on Inter, barely missing a pass and allowing Leo Messi to grow into the game, who was a determining factor in the second half. The Argentine created six scoring chances and had a hand in both of Suarez’s goals.

However, Inter were solid and also showed no inhibitions as they looked to attack and cause Barcelona problems. A performance that simply has to be highlighted is the one produced by Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine striker scored his first Champions League goal, took a total of five shots and created three chances. Lenglet and Piqué were often unable to keep him in check. Not only did he frequently come short for passes, he also looked to make use of the space. Furthermore, he communicated with Sanchez and enjoyed the open pitch. His goal after just one minute and 59 seconds is the second quickest goal scored by Inter in the Champions League following Stankovic’s strike after just 26 seconds against Schalke 04 in 2011.

Inter actually finished the match having only had 34.5% ball possession but, as Conte explained, the Nerazzurri’s play was focused on getting the ball forward to do damage to Barcelona. This is what we managed to do until the Blaugrana grabbed the equaliser, after which Inter suffered a slight physical drop (as can be seen from the number of duels won: 43 against Barcelona’s 55). This allowed the hosts to step up the pressure and become more threatening.

“We’re licking our wounds,” said Coach Conte. However, there was certainly no shortage of character, courage and the desire to put in the yards and hard work. The message from Camp Nou has arrived loud and clear. Now all thoughts must turn to Juventus, who we face at San Siro on Sunday. We’ll need the warmth and affection of all of our fans behind the boys. As always, #ForzaInter!