Hakan - The Spark

The 2022/23 season seemed to be over before it had even begun. For the first time, there was going to be a break for the World Cup in the middle of the campaign, while the season itself had started as early as the weekend before Ferragosto. It was not a great start for Inter: four defeats in the first eight matches, eight points behind league leaders Napoli and the Scudetto already looking like a distant dream. Things were no better in Europe: Inter lost their opening home game against Bayern, who looked to be a team in a completely different class. After winning their second match in Plzen, there were two games against Barcelona to come. Another opponent who, on paper, seemed impossible to overcome.

Another problem for Simone Inzaghi: Brozović was ruled out with a muscular problem and Asllani, his natural replacement, had not looked particularly comfortable in the role in the 2-1 defeat to Roma a few days earlier, partly because he had had little time to settle into the position. The newspapers on that 4 October four years ago reported a battle for the regista role between Mkhitaryan and Çalhanoğlu. With the benefit of hindsight, it was the match that changed the Turk’s career and Inter’s European history. Against a phenomenal team, particularly from midfield upwards; Gavi, Pedri, Busquets, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembélé. Çalhanoğlu produced an incredible performance: long balls, tackles, constantly making himself available for the ball and finding ways through Barcelona’s relentless press. As if that were not enough, he scored the only goal of the match, a low drive from outside the box in the final action of the first half.

There was a bit of everything: a goal ruled out by the narrowest of margins, Joaquín Correa set off from inside his own half, rounded Ter Stegen and slotted into an empty net: a moment of brilliance, unfortunately ruled out. Another Barcelona goal was disallowed for a handball by Ansu Fati, a penalty claimed by the Blaugrana, and the usual roar of San Siro, which on nights like these forgets all about the present, the league table and the problems, transforming into a cauldron of noise. From then on, Inter held on to those three points and their advantage over the Catalans, using them first to secure qualification for the last 16 and then to embark on a memorable European campaign that would only come to an end just metres from the finish line on a night in Istanbul.

From that point onwards, Çalhanoğlu and Inzaghi realised that the Turk could offer his best in that position, while Barcelona developed a strange Nerazzurri syndrome that prevented them from beating Inter, even when they were the stronger side on paper. And there was a recurrence, too. Barcelona and Inter would meet three more times in the Champions League, and from that day onwards the overall score reads 10-9 in Inter’s favour. Nineteen goals. Not a single one is worth forgetting.