Inter -v- Barca, Champions League Semi-final 1st leg

redout

UEFA Champions League
Semi-final 1st Leg

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
7:45pm

jesus_thats_gre

I can see Inter causing an upset in this one. I suspect the winner of this tie will win the tournament also.

redout

Bon Voyage

leninbenjamin

they going by sleeper train?

redout

leninbenjamin wrote: »

they going by sleeper train?

Travelling the whole 1000km via bus!

leninbenjamin

redout wrote: »

Travelling the whole 1000km via bus!

By bus? With only one day to recover? Fair ****s, but I wouldn't be putting any money on them to get anything at the San Siro!

DazMarz

This will be a great game. Not for the football (I can see Inter parking the bus, Barca trying in vain to burn her out!), but for the tactics. The wily and experienced Mourinho, versus the gifted and youthful Guardiola. How will both sides play? I personally cannot wait to see this game!

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Was gonna go for an easy Barca win, but I'm not so sure now, I'll say scrappy 1-0 to Inter.

1000kms by bus? Wow.

Go for a score draw 1-1, or Barca 1-0

redout

Barca have arrived in Milan.

Some pics along the way


"the Haribo kid"

GavRedKing

Thats some trip, Im going say 1 - 1 but a very good game at that.

Can see Barcelona trying to batter Inter like they did to Arsenal and in fairness they try against all teams, and Inter catching them and scoring 1st.

Warper

Looks like a sh1t stag party.

IvySlayer

Last game between these 2 at San Siro this season was pretty ****e. 2-1 Inter.

Dont be at yourself

I can't see Barcelona parking the bus in Milan though.

Davaeo09

I predict a 2-2 draw with Inter scoring first. Fairly tight match with Inter sitting back and trying to counter Barca.

The Milito, Sneijder and Eto'o combo up front will give Barca trouble to be honest, so much pace

Busquests or Toure (which ever starts as DM) will have a difficult task tomorrow.
Hope pep starts Ibra, Messi and Pedro up front, Pedro's pace will be vital tomorrow.

Also will be interesting to see if "the special one" decides to double mark Xavi now that Iniesta is absent (Espanyol did it to great effect @ the weekend)..

I expect this tie to be a very physical one too, not the flowing type of football that suits Barca.

Mr.Nice Guy

I fancy Barca to go through but I think this first leg could be tricky for them. I'd say it will be a draw. I agree with DazMarz that the tactics involved in this game make it fascinating.

Headshot

come on inter

yahoo_moe

redout wrote: »

Guardiola not in a 3-piece suit :eek:

Also, is that Valdes in the car-park picture where Xavi's texting? He looks like a monster there (though Wiki says he's 6ft which would be about what I thought).

JPA

0-0 or Barca win tomorrow night IMO.

CSF

Barca to win comfortably, like they always do when the slightest bit of doubt is placed on them. Messi Messi Messi.

JPA

It was no ordinary day at the Ambrussum service station just off the A9 heading through Nimes in southern France on Sunday when a certain Leo Messi ambled up to the bar, dropped his shoulder to swerve past a couple of long-distance lorry drivers and ordered a cafe au lait.
Messi and his Barcelona team-mates stopped off at the roadside cafe between Montpellier and Marseilles en route to Cannes on the first leg of their 620-mile coach trip to Milan for tonight's Champions League semi-final first leg against Internazionale.


"Gudjohnsen has really done it to us this time," joked one player boarding the 3pm team bus out of Barcelona on Sunday in reference to the Icelandic volcano that meant Barça's trip to Italy had to be brought forward almost 24 hours depriving the players of a day with their families after Saturday night's hard-fought goalless draw against Espanyol.
Barcelona's 20-man squad boarded one 38-seater coach accompanied by club doctor Ricard Pruma and director Rafa Yuste, while Pep Guardiola and his assistant, Tito Vilanova, were joined by various members of the club's technical and administrative staff in a second coach.
Chaotic traffic jams in Montpellier turned what should have been a six-hour journey into one of eight hours but armed with iPods and dressed in club tracksuits as opposed to the business suits usually worn for Champions League trips the players arrived in Cannes at 10.30pm on Sunday night before setting off again yesterday morning to complete the second leg of their journey.
On the players' coach, Al Pacino's American Football film Any Given Sunday topped the cinema bill that also included the Clint Eastwood-directed Invictus. And after the highly motivational tales of winning against all odds came something a little lighter, Spanish pin-up Paz Vega in Juan Calvo's comedy Di que sí.
While his players enjoyed the work of Morgan Freeman and Cameron Diaz, Guardiola only had eyes for the performances of Walter Samuel and Esteban Cambiasso. The Barça coach spent most of the journey watching videos of Inter games this season.
Guardiola had likened the trip to those he endured the season before taking over as first-team coach at Barcelona. As manager of the "B" team he shared many a bus journey with his players en route to winning the third division title. Though none would have involved stopping off at a €14,000-a-night hotel, that being the price of the Royal Suite at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes where the Barça squad broke up their two-day journey before arriving in Milan yesterday afternoon.
The Newcastle team undertook a similar journey yesterday, although perhaps with a slightly less glamourous destination – Plymouth – for last night's Championship match. They set off early in the morning for the seven-hour, 409-mile trip.

""Gudjohnsen has really done it to us this time"

Ush1

I'd say a comfortable for Barca 1-1. Would like Ibra to get the goal.

abouttobebanned

Lot of people saying draw...9-4...should we all get on??

redout

Training pics from the San Siro

Frisbee

I'm gonna go with 1-2.

Milito to score early with a Xavi and Messi masterclass producing goals for Messi and Ibra.

Davaeo09

Pique's doing his Henry impressions?

Spiritoftheseventies

Inter havent lost at homes in yonks. Barca havent lost away in champions league. Are we in all probability looking at another 0-0 here?

redout

Frisbee wrote: »

I'm gonna go with 1-2.

Milito to score early with a Xavi and Messi masterclass producing goals for Messi and Ibra.

Which one :pac:

Gonzovision

Im gonna put my money on Inter.

leninbenjamin

Inter for me too, José will have learned from the group stages.

Spiritoftheseventies

The draw for me. maybe 1-1

redout

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I can see Inter causing an upset in this one. I suspect the winner of this tie will win the tournament also.

baz2009 wrote: »

Was gonna go for an easy Barca win, but I'm not so sure now, I'll say scrappy 1-0 to Inter.

IvySlayer wrote: »

Last game between these 2 at San Siro this season was pretty ****e. 2-1 Inter.

Headshot wrote: »

come on inter

gonzovision wrote: »

Im gonna put my money on Inter.

leninbenjamin wrote: »

Inter for me too, José will have learned from the group stages.

I dont understand everyone going for Inter.

Honestly cant see Barca losing this match.

A far superior team and should prove it over 2 legs.

gimmick

leninbenjamin wrote: »

Inter for me too, José will have learned from the group stages.

That suggests you reckon Barca have gone backwards since the group stages?
Inter are not in the form of their lives at the moment, and aside from the blip on Saturday against perenial spoilers Espanyol, Barca are arguably in their best form of the season.

All that said, I reckon 1-1

Spiritoftheseventies

redout wrote: »

I dont understand everyone going for Inter.

Honestly cant see Barca losing this match.

A far superior team and should prove it over 2 legs.

Inters home record under Jose is Phenomenal.

Ush1

gimmick wrote: »

That suggests you reckon Barca have gone backwards since the group stages?
Inter are not in the form of their lives at the moment, and aside from the blip on Saturday against perenial spoilers Espanyol, Barca are arguably in their best form of the season.

All that said, I reckon 1-1

Won't be suprised at all if Inter win nothing this year.

redout

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

Inters home record under Jose is Phenomenal.

Mourinho has played them both home and away already this season and couldnt score once and never looked a threat. First game 0-0 was like watching paint dry and the 2-0 at Camp Nou was dominated by Barca. I think people have let Inter's victory over Chelsea go to their heads to be honest. Had they played a decent side in the quarters they would have struggled. I am supremely confident that Barca not Inter will be in Madrid come May 22.

Dont be at yourself

Based on the last few seasons, Maureen is content to play for a 0-0 in the 1st leg if it's at home, even when they enter the tie as a favourite. So, I can't see him attacking Barcelona with any real enthusiasm. They'll be hoping for a goal from a set-piece, or they'll settle for the 0-0.

Barca would probably settle for that too, so they might keep their powder dry for the Nou Camp.

redout

Inter
Out: Davide Santon (knee), Francesco Toldo (leg)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Walter Samuel, Maicon, Javier Zanetti, Dejan Stanković

• Santon is out until the end of the month after knee surgery.


Barcelona
Out: Andrés Iniesta(right thigh)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Carles Puyol

• Zlatan Ibrahimović returned from a calf problem to face RCD Espanyol on Saturday and Eric Abidal has recovered from a groin tear.

Ush1

TV3 coverage. *slits wrists*

leninbenjamin

gimmick wrote: »

That suggests you reckon Barca have gone backwards since the group stages?

No, it suggests that I fancy Mourinho to have learned enough about their style of play from their past meetings this season. As good as Barca have been this season, they have not been the unstoppable force they were last. They have vulnerabilities (remember how easy Walcott kept getting in behind?) and I'd fancy Inter should be capable of exploiting them at home.

Not to mention I think travel weariness could affect the performances tomorrow. Spending hours on a bus two days in a row can be very draining, leaves muscles tighter and can mess with circulation. An outcome similar to the first leg against Arsenal (dominate for an hour then fade away) is a strong possibility.

Still think Barca will come good over the two legs, but I think Inter will win the match tonight. 2-1 perhaps.

Prufrock

Jose will have a game plan going into this. Can't wait to see the special ones starting 11. You can be damn sure Messi is being man marked.

gimmick

redout wrote: »

Barcelona

Misses next match if booked: Carles Puyol

That pisses me off no end.

I would almost be happy if he got booked tonight, so if Barca do progress, there is the possiblilty of the embodiment of Barcelona lifting the trophy for a 3rd time, which would not be bad for a second rate defender :rolleyes:.

That said, progress without him would not be too easy. He has been phenomenal this season.

leninbenjamin

gimmick wrote: »

That pisses me off no end.

lol, it's his fault for fouling so much. Dirty bunch that Barca are when they haven't the ball :P

LuckyLloyd

redout wrote: »

Bon Voyage

redout wrote: »

Barca have arrived in Milan.

Some pics along the way


"the Haribo kid"

Fair play redout! Great pictures. Something so normal about them.

Ush1

Rumours are that Maicon might start on the right wing with Zanetti or Cordoba behind him.

I'd say either Cambiasso or Motta will be all over Messi like flies on ****e.

event

redout wrote: »

Mourinho has played them both home and away already this season and couldnt score once and never looked a threat. First game 0-0 was like watching paint dry and the 2-0 at Camp Nou was dominated by Barca.

inter are a very different team to then though

redout wrote: »

I think people have let Inter's victory over Chelsea go to their heads to be honest. Had they played a decent side in the quarters they would have struggled.

so chelsea arent a decent team now? how would you rank them?

2-1 to inter for me

keane2097

I would expect Mourinho to be a little bit cleverer than just sticking Cambiasso on Messi and saying "mark him".

If that's the extent of The Special One's tactical nous then Inter will be ripped apart over two legs and tbh it will move Jose down a fair bit in my estimation...

Ush1

event wrote: »

so chelsea arent a decent team now? how would you rank them?

2-1 to inter for me

Chelsea are good but they weren't decent that night, still can't believe how poor they were.

redout

event wrote: »

so chelsea arent a decent team now? how would you rank them?

2-1 to inter for me

I think you are confused. Inter did not play Chelsea in the quarter-finals. They played Chelsea in the last 16 and CSKA Moscow in the quarters.

dor83

Ush1 wrote: »

Rumours are that Maicon might start on the right wing with Zanetti or Cordoba behind him.

He played there against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia last week and it worked well, but Cordoba isn't good enough to play right back against Barca imo and I would prefer to see Zanetti in midfield and have him mark Xavi.

jesus_thats_gre

redout wrote: »

I dont understand everyone going for Inter.

Honestly cant see Barca losing this match.

A far superior team and should prove it over 2 legs.

Come back in about 10 hours