'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#2 Barcelona vs Inter Milan
Dates: 24/10/2018 (Camp Nou Stadium), 06/11/2018 (Estadio San Siro)
Trending
What's the story? Can you believe Messi has not scored a goal against Inter Milan?
In Inter Milan's treble winning campaign of 2010, they were coached by a certain Jose Mourinho, and in the semi-final they came up against defending champions Barcelona who themselves made history less than a year earlier when they became the first and till date only club to win all six trophies they contested for in a season.
Barcelona under Guardiola were breathtaking, playing a possession based tiki taka football never seen before, with many considering that side to be the best in the history of club football.
Lionel Messi was the main man in that talented Barcelona side, with Pep deploying the Argentine maestro's talents to devastating effect.
Jose Mourinho knew his aging players had no chance going to-to-toe with the more dynamic Barcelona players, so in the first leg played at the San Siro, he deployed a counter-attacking tactic which ensured Inter ran out 3-1 winners.
Despite the first leg deficit, a lot of pundits still fancied Barcelona's chances heading into the second leg at Camp Nou, odds which were boosted after Inter were reduced to ten men just 22 minutes in after Thiaggo Motta was sent off for a soft foul on Sergio Busquets which the Spaniard made the most of.
What followed was a defensive masterclass by Mourinho's Inter, as they defended resolutely with Lucio, Maicon, Walter Samuel and Christian Chivu forming an impenetrable shield in front of Julio Ceasar. In midfield, Esteban Cambiasso and Goran Pandev gave Messi no breathing space, while Samuel Eto'o was infamously deployed as a makeshift left-back to further crowd out the defensive line.
Barcelona largely huffed and puffed to limited effect, and it took an 84th minute strike by Gerard Pique to breach the Inter backline. The goal ultimately proved ineffectual, as Inter ran out 3-2 winners on aggregate to the final where they defeated Bayern Munich 2-0, and the sight of Mourinho running around the Nou Camp with fists pumped out at the sound of the final whistle is one which many Barcelona fans abhor till this day.
On a personal level, there is also Messi's quest to find the back of the net against Inter Milan. The nerazzurri are one of six Champions League clubs out of the 37 Messi has faced against whom he has not scored. He has come up against the Italians on three occasions, with all coming in the 2010 campaign. First in a goalless group stage match at the San Siro, and later over both legs in the semi-final.
Much was made over Messi's inability to find the back of the against Chlesea in 8 attempts heading into the round-of-16 last season, but like the Argentine showed where he reduced the number of clubs he hasn't scored in all competitions from 12 to 10 in four days (with his equalizer against Chelsea and freekick against Girona), he is all about breaking records, and the quest for revenge by Barcelona and desire to score against Inter for Messi should make this clash one to watch.
