Barcelona vs Inter Milan Preview: 4 Things to watch out for

#3 Barcelona's defensive frailties

Barcelona will be counting on Pique's experience and ability to help them at the back here

With both Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen sidelined through respective injuries, Barca are struggling for cover within their backline. They have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches and conceded ten goals during that time.

If not for Marc-Andre ter Stegen's impressive goalkeeping displays, that number would be even higher.

Gerard Pique is not in the best form of his career but Barcelona will be hoping the Spaniard can utilise his big-game experience to good effect, keeping Mauro Icardi at bay. He will be joined in central defence by Clement Lenglet, with the Frenchman eager to prove his worth after arriving from Sevilla this past summer.

#4 Previous meeting between the two sides

Inter Milan beat Barca on their way to lifting the Champions League title in 2010

Last time these two clubs met was during the Champions League semi-finals back in 2010. The Jose Mourinho-led Inter famously toppled Pep Guardiola's side 3-1, before holding on to win on aggregate after a slender 1-0 away defeat.

Inter are no longer the superpower they once were and Barca have gone on to lift the Champions League on two more occasions since that fixture eight years ago.

Even still, tonight's hosts will be nonetheless cautious. The last time they met an Italian side was in last year's quarter-finals - against surprise package AS Roma. The Giallorossi stunned the La Liga champions with a remarkable comeback to progress into the semi-finals.

Although this is not the knockout stages, the winner of this match will top the group and subsequently get an easier road into the knockout stages.