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FC Barcelona were defeated 1-0 by Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 4. The result meant the hosts leapfrogged the visitors into second place with six points from three games.
Both Inter Milan and Barcelona entered this contest on the back of a similar start to their respective European campaigns. Inter beat Viktoria Plzen 2-0 and lost to Bayern Munich by the same scoreline. Barca, on the other hand, thrashed Plzen 5-1 and lost 2-0 to Bayern as well. The Bavarians' dominance in the group added an extra edge to this clash of titans.
Both Simone Inzaghi and Xavi Hernandez fielded their best possible lineups for this game.
Barcelona dominated possession in the first half and passed the ball around with authority as they looked to carve open Inter Milan's defense. However, the Italians defended with passion as Milan Skriniar led them with his efforts. Hakan Calhanoglu showed early signs of taking the initiative as he attempted shots from distance.
Pedri and Ousmane Dembele made decent starts to the game as both contributed effectively on opposite ends of the pitch. The Spaniard showed great commitment and determination as he tracked back often to help Barcelona's defense. Dembele, on the other hand, dribbled the ball well. However, they failed to create much in the final third, leaving Robert Lewandowski isolated for the most part.
Eric Garcia was fortunate to get away with an extremely cheeky handball in his own penalty area despite incessant appeals by Inter players. The referee rightly pulled play back for offside in the build-up following a VAR review. But Inter were first on the scoresheet as Hakan Calhanoglu scored with a stunning long-range effort on the cusp of half-time.
Inter carried a 1-0 lead over Barcelona into the break.
The second half was packed with drama as there was VAR drama on both ends. Both managers made several changes as they looked to rotate their ranks. However, Barcelona had to deal with an injury to Andreas Christensen as well.
Pedri was involved in the first VAR check after he latched onto a loose ball following a corner to seemingly make it 1-0. However, the referee was asked to review the play on the monitor by VAR and ruled the goal out for a handball by Ansu Fati in the build-up.
There was another important VAR check at a crucial moment in the dying embers of the game. Denzel Dumfries appeared to have cleared the ball using his hand. However, several VAR reviews from different angles were unable to provide conclusive evidence and no penalty was awarded, sparing the Dutchman's blushes.
Inter Milan secured a 1-0 victory over Barcelona, who they will face once again next week in Spain. That said, let's take a look at the five hits and flops fro
#5. Hit - Federico Dimarco
Dimarco bossed the left flank and impressed with both his offensive and defensive abilities. He covered the ground with tremendous energy and allowed his opponents very little time on the ball. He also attempted a sweetly-struck shot in the first half which was unfortunately deflected wide. He displayed his passing range and athleticism in a strong showing.
Dimarco played one accurate long ball and won one of his four duels while also playing an assist for Inter Milan's opening goal.
#4. Flop - Lautaro Martinez
Martinez failed to make an impact on the game despite Barcelona being forced to field a makeshift defensive unit owing to injuries. He struggled to make runs into space and was often rendered ineffective by the good positions held by Garcia and Christensen.
He attempted two shots, with both off target. He won just five of his 13 duels as he struggled to turn past Christensen, who used his physicality well. Martinez was also dispossessed an astounding 17 times.
#3. Hit - Inter's defense
Milan Skriniar, Alessandro Bastoni and Stefan de Vrij defended heroically in Inter's back three as they successfully secured a win and a clean sheet.
Skriniar won all three of his duels, making three clearances, two blocks and one interception. He also played one accurate long ball.
Bastoni won two of his five duels, making four clearances and two tackles in the process. He also played five accurate long balls. Bastoni was booked for a foul.
De Vrij had a great game as well. He won four of his five duels and made five clearances, three interceptions and four tackles.
#2. Flop - Barcelona's front three
Barcelona dominated possession for most parts of the game, often keeping the ball in Inter's half. They kept 72% of the ball overall but still failed to create clear-cut chances to score from.
As a team, they attempted seven shots with just two on target, both of which came early in the first half. Their opponents had the same number of shots on target but scored from one of those.
Additionally, Lewandowski, Raphinha and Dembele played with a visible disconnect between them. It is clear the trio were all having off-nights simultaneously in an unfortunate situation for Barcelona.
#1. Hit - Hakan Calhanoglu
The Turkish international has built a reputation for himself as a threat with his long-range shooting abilities. He wowed the footballing world with another peach of a strike, scoring to make it 1-0 from 25 yards out in first-half stoppage time.
Calhanoglu received the ball from Dimarco on the left flank and took a touch infield. He then unleashed a powerful effort that whizzed into the bottom-left corner of the goal. It was incidentally his first goal in the competition in six years.
