You can’t complain if you’re a Barcelona fan. That was top class entertainment delivered in a way only this Blaugrana team can.
But still, this is the Champions League, and Hansi Flick will know there was a missed opportunity by not getting the win at home. San Siro after all, with a trip to the final on the line, will be a boiling cauldron.
There are lessons to learn for the Catalan giants, but they aren’t so easily implementable.
Flick knew coming into this game that Inter would be dangerous on set pieces. Still, the Barcelona players struggled mightily defending corners. Even on the goal that was scored at the 30 second mark, Frenkie de Jong was beaten for a header in the midfield, which led to the fast break that Marcus Thuram finished off with class.
Inter are bigger and more physical than Barcelona. They do not play beautiful football, but they are very effective at getting results by prioritizing defense, and scoring goals by any means necessary. Coming into this game, they had surrendered only five goals in the Champions League. And that’s where the story gets interesting…
You could say that Barcelona play with fire, and that ultimately, their unrelenting attacking philosophy could be the thing that does them in. But in a way, by committing to their style of play, they also showed they were able to crack Inter’s armor.
In the end, if this tie becomes a goal scoring festival, your money has to be on Barcelona.
It would be incorrect to say Inter doesn’t like attacking. They are the leading scorers in Serie A after all, with 72 goals, and the fourth best defensive team in Italy, at quite a distance behind Napoli, who have only allowed 25. Does that mean we can expect another slugfest in the second leg? I wouldn’t be surprised.
Above all else, you have to like Barcelona’s chances because they are the team who has Lamine Yamal.
This season has been an absolute breakout campaign for the 17 year old, but this game against Inter may be remembered as the one where he announced himself as the best player in the world.
After Barcelona went down 0-2 early, Lamine entered a flow state. He was an artist who stopped thinking, and effortlessly began creating a masterpiece. Every touch of the ball was full of lethal intention, while radiating grace and beauty.
For a while in the first half, he was too good for his teammates, who struggled to keep up with every stroke of his creation. They say the run should dictate the pass, but the comrades were too busy admiring the artist, when they should have been joining in on the dance.
In the end, Barcelona were unlucky to not get the win. Inter played a strong game, but they were not the better team on the night. They spent most of the time trying to keep up, but did well with the chances they created. To advance to the final, another performance like this may be all they need.
For Barcelona, they will play the only way they know how. They will be the protagonists, and they will let the chips fall where they may.
Hopefully, they are better at defending set pieces. Hopefully, they win more of those first and second balls, and minimize threats on the counter attack behind their high line.
But the most important factor of all will be their ruthlessness.
No matter how many goals Barcelona scores, so often, you’re left feeling they could have, in fact should have, scored even more.
They can be forgiven haven done so well in the attack without Robert Lewandowski. Ferran Torres has been solid in his absence, once again grabbing a big goal.
But in Milan, it’s all hands on deck. Everyone has to be ready when the ball drops to their feet.
Everyone has to be ready to create the conditions that allow for their potent offense to overwhelm the opponent before their hopes can even begin.
That means bringing the intensity collectively to press in a pack like wolves. That also means making the right runs off the ball, so the geniuses, read Lamine Yamal and Pedri, can provide the service.
This team is so close to making history, and shocking the world. No one could have believed this level of success was possible when Hansi Flick was hired a year ago.
No one can say for sure whether Barcelona will advance to the final.
But one thing is inevitable. Win or lose, they will do it their way.
That means you can expect to be entertained. There will be goals. There will be poetry.
There will be fans all around the world tuning in to see football like it’s never been played before. That’s FC Barcelona at its best. Inventors, and reinventors, of the game.
And if there is any justice, when it’s all said and done, Barcelona will be back where they belong. In the final of the Champions League, with a chance to seize the European throne once again.
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