UEFA Champions League 2019-20 | Inter Milan 1-2 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points 

Barcelona defeated Inter Milan 2-1
Barcelona defeated Inter Milan 2-1

Inter Milan fell to a 2-1 defeat against Barcelona in the final match of Group F in the Champions League.

Carles Perez had put the visitors ahead in the 23rd minute when he converted from close range but Romelu Lukaku leveled matters for the Italians right before half-time with a deflected shot from the edge of the area.

The second half saw Inter Milan pushing for a second goal but for all of their efforts, they could not find a way past Neto and youngster Ansu Fati put a knife through their hearts when he scored Barcelona's second.

It was a goal that had a huge impact on all parties involved and in this piece, we shall be highlighting five talking points from the Champions League clash at San Siro.


#5 Barcelona match Real Madrid in the history books

The historical rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona is well documented and they regularly compete for the biggest honours and trophies.

Coming into the clash with Inter Milan, Barcelona had already guaranteed their status as group winners for an unbelievable 13th consecutive season. By avoiding defeat against the Nerazzurri, they became only the second side after Real Madrid to go 20 matches without defeat in a Champions League group stage fixture.

The last time the Catalans lost a Champions League group stage fixture was way back in November 2016 when they fell to former manager Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in a 3-1 defeat.

Since then, they have won 14 and drawn six of their Champions League group stage fixtures and they are only the second side after Real Madrid to achieve this unique feat.

The record-champions went without defeat in the Champions League between 2012 and 2017 when a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham ended their record-breaking run at 30 matches.

Also check out: Champions League Schedule Champions League table Champions league top scorers

#4 More Cup misery for Antonio Conte

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

Over the last decade, Antonio Conte has proved his mettle as one of the most tactically astute coaches and continued the legacy of Italy producing legendary managers.

His work with Juventus was iconic and he helped set the template for the unprecedented success to follow but for all of his dexterity and ability to win league titles, the 50-year-old falls painfully short when it comes to cup competitions.

It might be hard to believe but Conte never won the Coppa Italia with Juventus despite winning three consecutive league titles and his failure in the cup competition is highlighted by the fact that his successor Max Allegri won the trophy in each of his first four seasons in Turin.

Conte finally ended his cup hoodoo when he lifted the FA Cup with Chelsea in 2018 but his latest shortcoming with Inter Milan casts further aspersions on his cup record.

By failing to qualify from the group stage, it now means that the former Italy coach has failed to make it out of the Champions League group stage in two out of his four seasons, which is rather poor considering his pedigree.

#3 Barcelona's second-string side pass the test

Perez opened the scoring
Perez opened the scoring

With Barcelona's status as group winners already guaranteed, Ernesto Valverde elected to not take any risks and named a weakened squad for the fixture, with one eye on some upcoming tough LaLiga fixtures.

Several first-team players were left out of the starting XI, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, and Sergi Roberto not even named in the 18-man traveling party.

Youngsters like Moussa Wague, Jean-Claire Todibo, and Carlez Perez were handed starts, while fringe players like Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Alena got a chance to impress.

Even though they came up against Inter's more established regulars, the Barcelona players seemed unfazed and Valverde would have been pleased with the output of several of his players.

Carles Perez trumped Antoine Griezmann in attack and opened the scoring on his Champions League debut. Elsewhere, Carlos Alena displayed the full extent of his La Masia training by dominating the midfield, while Jean-Clair Todibo rarely put a foot wrong over the 90 minutes.

#2 Inter Milan drop down to the Europa League yet again

Lukaku was profligate
Lukaku was profligate

Inter Milan got their Champions League campaign to a poor start by dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague. They lost their next match to Barcelona before a 2-0 victory over Dortmund on Matchday 3 got them back on track.

They seemed to be coasting in the return fixture after racing into a 2-0 lead at the Signal Iduna Park but a second-half collapse saw them fall to a 3-2 defeat.

After Matchday 5, Inter Milan and Dortmund were level on points, with the former ahead on head-to-head and they came into the last game needing to match or better the Germans' result against Slavia Prague to progress.

This was a similar scenario to last season where Inter could only manage to draw with PSV at home, leading to their elimination at the expense of Tottenham.

The weakened team fielded by Ernesto Valverde would have given fans of Inter Milan hope of their team getting a victory but they were simply not good enough and did not make the most of their early pressure in the match.

Inter got the ball in the back of the net on three occasions but all were rightly ruled out for offside. But beyond those, they did not utilize their opportunities, with Romelu Lukaku being the chief culprit with his profligacy in front of goal.

Dortmund's 2-1 victory over Slavia Prague saw them move three points clear of Inter Milan and into the second-round while the Italians' were left counting their losses having dropped into the second-tier of European club football for a second season running.

#1 Ansu Fati makes history

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

Ansu Fati generated a buzz earlier in the season when he starred in the absence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and his displays in this period led to many christening him as the successor to the Argentinian maestro.

Things have calmed down a bit in recent weeks but the 17-year-old once again reminded everyone of his abilities in the fixture with Inter Milan.

With Ernesto Valverde resting most of his heavy hitters, it was expected that Ansu Fati would start the game but he was surprisingly left on the bench with Carles Perez and Antoine Griezmann leading the line in a rather unusual 3-1-4-2 formation.

Fati was eventually summoned from the bench in the 86th minute and he had an almost immediate impact, scoring the winner with what was virtually his first touch of the game.

With the goal, Fati wrote his name into the record books as the youngest player in history to score a Champions League goal, doing so aged just 17 years and 40 days. At this rate, it is not premature to suggest that he is a star in the making.

Quick Links

Edited by Alan John