PREVIEW | FC Barcelona v Internazionale

Wednesday at 9pm CEST brings a HUGE game at Spotify Camp Nou. Following the 1-0 defeat in Milan eight days ago, FC Barcelona now face Inter again, this time with home advantage but with the added pressure that anything but a win would leave their hopes of qualifying for the last 16 hanging on a very thin thread.

How it stands

If (as expected) Bayern Munich defeat Viktoria Plzen in today’s other game, the Bavarians would have the maximum 12 points and would be almost guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.

So, in all probability it’s a direct battle between Barça and Inter for the other slot. Although the Italians have the upper hand after winning last week, a win for Barça would level things up on points.

It would then come down to who performs best in the final two fixtures. Barça are at home to Bayern and then travel to Plzen, while Inter host the Czechs and then go to Germany.

A huge factor here could be the direct head-to-head between Barça and Inter, meaning that although a blaugrana win would be nice, a win by two or more goals would be even better! Remember, away goals are no longer a factor for splitting teams.

Anything other than a Barça win leaves things looking very nasty indeed. It would mean Barça needing to not only to win their last two fixtures, but also to hope that other results go their way.

Last time we met

Inter only had 28% of the possession and just five shots on goal last Tuesday, but still won the game thanks to a long-range strike from Hakan Calhanoglu shortly before the break. It was a frustrating night for Barça, with many Culers, Xavi included, feeling they not only played the better football but also deserved more from certain refereeing decisions, including a denied penalty appeal for handball.

Form guide

Barça’s fabulous league form continued at the weekend with a 1-0 defeat of Celta, a seventh consecutive win in the domestic championship, and a sixth clean sheet in a row to ensure they stay top going into next Sunday’s Clásico.

After two consecutive Serie A defeats (and four losses in their previous six games), an Edin Džeko brace earned Inter a 2-1 win at Sassulo at the weekend to move up to seventh.

Team news

Frenkie de Jong was back from injury at the weekend and Franck Kessie is back in the squad for the visit of Inter but Xavi is still without Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin, Ronald Araujo, Memphis Depay and Jules Kounde for this game, which particularly gives him a lot to think about in defence. Against Celta, he had to play three natural left-backs in his back four.

Inter are hardly injury-free either. Dalbert, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Cordaz, Joaquin Correa and Gabriel Brazao are all unavailable, and although Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is reportedly fit again, it would something of a surprise to see him involved on Wednesday.

The coach's view 

Barça boss Xavi Hernández was keen to stress the importance of Wednesday's game and the keys to success for his team.

Did you know?

History is hugely on Barça’s side. They have hosted Inter five times in the Champions League and have not only won every time but have only conceded one goal in the process, Lautaro Martínez’s fairly meaningless consolation goal in 2019. That said, Barça’s 1-0 victory in 2010 was as good as a defeat really as it was enough for the Italians to win on 3-2 aggregate.

Barça have only lost at home to an Italian team once in 17 occasions, although the sole defeat was also the most recent, 3-0 to Juventus in 2020.

Since a 5-1 defeat of Valencia in 2004, Inter have not won any of their eight games away to La Liga sides, and seven of those were defeats.

Gavi could become the fourth youngest player to amass ten appearances in the Champions League. Just 68 days after turning 18, only Youri Tielemans, Jude Bellingham and Barça's own Bojan Krkic were younger. 

Robert Lewandowski has scored 22 goals and given five assists in his last 15 home fixtures in the Champions League.