Match Preview: Inter - Barcelona

MILAN – It’s the sixth match in Group F of the Champions League for Inter. The Nerazzurri will face Valverde’s Barcelona at the Stadio Meazza and they’re top of the group with qualification already secured. Kick-off is at 21:00 CET on Tuesday 10th December. 

THE SITUATION IN THE GROUP

Inter are second on seven points, behind Barcelona (11) and level with Borussia Dortmund (7), Inter will have to at least match the Germans’ result to go through and they face Slavia Prague at the same time (fourth on 2 points).

TRIVIAInter, Lautaro and consistency

Lautaro Martínez has scored in all of his last four Champions League matches for Inter this season, hitting five goals in total. No Inter player has ever scored in five consecutive European Cup/Champions League matches. The most recent player to hit four in a row was Samuel Eto’o in 2010.

Barcelona’s form in the group 

Barcelona have topped their Champions League group for a 13th consecutive season and they’ve only lost one of their last 33 group stage matches in the Champions League (1-3 against Manchester City in November 2016). The La Liga side are unbeaten in their last 19 group matches (13 wins, 6 draws).

(click here for all the trivia on Inter vs. Barcelona)

The Coach’s comments 

“This is an important moment for us, if we rewind things and look back to the draw then we see how it’s a group that everyone recognised as being difficult and we’re still playing to qualify on the final day at home against Barcelona. It will be a big match, we know that we can go through with a positive result. That would be important for everyone, for the atmosphere, for the players and for myself too.”

(click here to rewatch the press conference)

FORMInter’s last five matches Inter 0-0 Roma Inter 2-1 Spal Slavia Prague 1-3 Inter Torino 0-3 Inter Inter 2-1 Hellas Verona 

Barcelona’s last five matches Barcelona 5-2 RCD Mallorca Atletico Madrid 0-1 Barcelona Barcelona 3-1 Borussia Dortmund CD Leganés 1-2  Barcelona Barcelona 4-1 Celta de Vigo 

Previous Meetings 

Tuesday’s game will be the 14th meeting of Inter and Barcelona. Four of the six games held at San Siro between the pair have finished as draws with both having won one apiece.

SUSPENSIONS

Neither side has any players out through suspension. The players a booking away from suspensions are: Barella (Inter), Candreva (Inter), Martínez (Inter); Busquets (Barcelona), Semedo (Barcelona)

The Referee

Dutch official Björn Kuipers will be in charge. His assistant referees will be Sander van Roekel and Erwin Zeinstra. The fourth official will be Serdar Gözübüyük. Paulus van Boekel and Dennis Johan Higler are the VAR officials.