Champions League 2019-20: 3 reasons why Barcelona completed a 2-1 comeback win over Inter Milan

Barcelona completed a comeback victory
Barcelona completed a comeback victory

Both Inter Milan and Barcelona came into their Group F Champions League fixture at the Camp Nou on the back of domestic wins during the weekend. However, while the Italians have started the campaign in roaring form, winning their first six matches of the campaign to sit top of the Serie A table, Barcelona have flattered to deceive and are currently placed 4th in LaLiga.

The two sides posted stalemates in their opening Champions League fixtures and with Borussia Dortmund having dispatched Slavia Prague 2-0 earlier in the day to go top of the table, the onus was on Barcelona and Inter to issue a response by picking up all three points.

FC Barcelona v FC Internazionale: Group F - UEFA Champions League
FC Barcelona v FC Internazionale: Group F - UEFA Champions League

Antonio Conte's men seemed to be on their way to doing so when Lautaro Martinez put them ahead inside the first four minutes. But a second-half brace from Luis Suarez ensured that the Nerrazurri left Catalunya empty-handed.

Barcelona showed great resilience to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat, and here we look at three factors that contributed to their comeback win over Inter Milan.

#3 Their incredible home form

Barcelona have not lost at home in the Champions League since April 2013
Barcelona have not lost at home in the Champions League since April 2013

When Barcelona defeated Lyon 5-1 in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 fixture last season, it saw the Blaugrana break the 17-year-old record for most unbeaten games at home (29) set by Bayern Munich between 1998 and 2002.

Further wins against Manchester United and Liverpool meant that Barcelona came into this season with a staggering run of 32 matches undefeated at home in the Champions League.

The last time the Catalans lost at Camp Nou on the continent was way back in April 2013 in that infamous 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich which was part of the 7-0 semifinal aggregate loss.

To put this into perspective, the last time Barcelona fell to a Champions League defeat at Camp Nou, Sir Alex Ferguson was still the coach of Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo had just one Ballon d'Or and was still the most expensive player of all time, while Neymar still starred for Santos.

In that time, Barcelona have played 32 games, winning 29 and drawing just three, while they have scored a staggering 98 goals and conceded just 14.

When Lautaro Martinez put Inter Milan ahead, the Italians were on course to become the first side since Rubin Kazan in 2009 to defeat Barcelona at home in the Champions League group stage. But that did not happen as Barcelona rallied to grab all three points.

Their away from might leave a lot to be desired, but when it comes to Camp Nou, Barcelona are an entirely different proposition. Despite not being at their fluent best, they still did enough to ensure that their record-breaking run at home continues.

#2 Ernesto Valverde's inspired changes

Valverde's substitutions positively affected the game
Valverde's substitutions positively affected the game

Under Antonio Conte's management, Inter Milan have been transformed into one of the form teams of the season. They are the trailblazers in the Italian league, having won all six of their games, scoring 13 goals and conceding just two.

The players have almost seamlessly adapted to his tactical demands and against Barcelona, they showed as much in what was an utterly dominating first-half performance.

The Nerazzurri played as a cohesive unit and constantly tore through the Barcelona backline with Stefano Sensi and Nicolo Barella running the show through the middle - almost as though Sergio Busquets wasn't there.

In response, Valverde took off the Spanish international and introduced Arturo Vidal in his stead while taking off another anonymous player in Antoine Griezmann and replacing him with the fit-again Ousmane Dembele.

Both players had almost immediate impact on the game. Vidal's introduction helped to steady the ship in the middle of the park, allowing Arthur to drop deep and influence proceedings. Vidal also had a direct hand in Barcelona's first goal, as it was he who set Suarez up with an assist on the edge of the box.

For his part, Dembele brought an urgency and vibrancy that were sorely lacking while Griezmann was present on the field. His direct running and pace also put the Inter back three on the back-foot, limiting Antonio Candreva's attacking contributions and forcing him to come back and help Diego Godin out with defending.

Valverde's tactical masterstroke in introducing Dembele and Vidal must be applauded.

#1 Lionel Messi

Messi was in fine form against Inter Milan
Messi was in fine form against Inter Milan

Though he was making only his second start of the season, Lionel Messi still proved to be as decisive as ever in the game against Inter Milan.

Luis Suarez might have scored both goals to give Barcelona all three points, but his Argentine colleague was arguably the standout player on the field.

From the moment his compatriot put the visitors ahead Messi took it upon himself to force the issue and try to get Barcelona in the game, dropping deep into midfield to initiate plays and finishing moves off.

The 32-year-old tested Samir Handanovic on four occasions, drawing out fine saves from the Slovenian three times. He also completed 10 dribbles and played six key passes.

The most crucial of those came in the 84th minute after he had blazed his way across half of the field before setting up Suarez to give Barcelona a 2-1 lead.

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