Barca -v- Inter, Champions League Semi-final 2nd Leg

redout

UEFA Champions League
Semi-final 2nd Leg
(1 - 3)

Camp Nou
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
7:45pm

Pinturicchio

Sneijder is out injured. Huge blow for Inter.

flahavaj

This for me is the clash of the season.

The irresistable force, needing two goals at least, meets the immovaable object with the master tactician at the helm.

Mouth watering.

ShamoBuc

This could be the game of the season. It certainly has all the ingredients. I still see Barca turning them over- eventually, possibly in ET. Their passing game ( on a huge pitch ) should cause Inter untold damage and I would not be surprised - with a tough ref - to see an Inter player sent off, they will foul alot with their Thou Shall Not Pass attitude. Will José spring some tactical masterstroke -he will certainly try and no one will begrudge an extra 30mins, Barca 4-1 aet for me.

Mr.Nice Guy

It's set up great. I'm almost certain Barca will win on the night but I can also see Inter scoring like Arsenal did so it's a tough one to call. I reckon Barca can do it and go though. I hope Messi has a good game.

Pinturicchio

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Sneijder is out injured. Huge blow for Inter.

And his most likely replacement, Stankovic, is suspended.

SeanKev

If Inter Milan go on to win the Champions league, Jose Mourinho is without a doubt the best manager in the world for me (excluding SAF)
Overcoming (almost) the best team in the world after Inter Milan failed season after season in European football.

Pep, first season.. Treble.

Far from over, cannot wait.

Kirnsy

Posted this in the Barca thread a while back but it's more appropriate here:

Kirnsy wrote: »

While i feel Barca obviously are the best team in the world etc, I don't think it's going to be as easy/one sided as some posters have made it out.

Barca are now playing a fully fit (not Arsenal) well organised (not Arsenal ) and strong defensively (not ... you get the message) unit. Inter have proven that they have the mental fortitude and resilience to go away to a tough team and win (Chelsea .. something Barca haven't done in Stamford Bridge nor the Emarites for that matter ). As well as this they play extremely well as a team and have the genius of Sneijer to pick passes out. Added to their pace up front in Eto'o Balotelli Pandev and Milito(not sure if he's that quick actually) plus Barca pressing forward, they are worth a goal on the counter attack.

As well as this there is the Mourinho factor. Say what you like about his style or his manner with the press, this man is a winner. He is arguably the best tactical coach in the world. He will have devised a plan to stop and nullify Barca esp Messi and Xavi. You can be sure it will be a well considered plan. It's Pep's time to shine now and there is nothing to suggest he will not. However throwing in a suspension (again) for Puyol, an injured Iniesta and an off -form and or bottler Ibra plus a very very motivated and pumped Inter with confidence.....I think Inter will prevail.

Of course on the other hand there's not many teams that can go to the Bernebeau and win two seasons out of two however Lyon have proved that a well organised team can really frustrate a more talented and free flowing opposition. As well as this I feel that Barca can be shakey in defence as demonstrated a few times this season and especially in their last few Champions League games and in Eto'o and co Inter have players who will score. So I'm going to go for Inter but I think it will be a cracking match and may the best team win...

PS - forgot one more point. Inter are now 3-1 up and its been a long time id imagine that Barca have found themselves chasing such a defecit. Perfect for the inter counter attack...

I'll edit that now with Sneidjer out.....it's going to be very interesting to see if Inter can fashion much considering Stankovic is suspended. Who do the Inter fans presume will step up? Balotelli ?!

Spiritoftheseventies

Messi I feel will be a different proposition at home. Should be a special tie.

Headshot

id be surprised if sneidjer doesnt make it. Im pretty sure it hasnt been confirmed if he's out or not

Pinturicchio

Kirnsy wrote: »

I'll edit that now with Sneidjer out.....it's going to be very interesting to see if Inter can fashion much considering Stankovic is suspended. Who do the Inter fans presume will step up? Balotelli ?!

I'm not an Inter fan but maybe this...

JC

Maicon - Lucio - Samuel - Chivu

Motta - Cambiasso - Zanetti

Eto'o - Milito - Pandev

Le King

Inter team IMO:

---

J.Cesar

---

---

Lucio

---

Samuel

---

--Maicon

---

Zanetti--

---

Cambiasso---Motta

---

---

Muntari

---

---

Pandev

---

---

Eto'o

---

Milito

---

redout

Headshot wrote: »

id be surprised if sneidjer doesnt make it. Im pretty sure it hasnt been confirmed if he's out or not

Agree, all I have heard are unconfirmed reports and considering how Inter refused to say how long he is out for I have my suspicions. Barca have said the same yesterday.

Warper

If Sneijder is out that is great news for Barca. He is Inter's best player and their playmaker. Tbh I think this is something like the Rooney situation before they played Bayern in the second leg. If he takes painkillers he should be able to get through it but I would love to see him out and so would Barca.

http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=33767&L=en

Seaneh

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Their passing game ( on a huge pitch ) should cause Inter untold damage and I would not be surprised

San Siro. 105m X 68m.

Camp Nou. 105m X 68m.


The san siro is always marked the same size and so is the camp nou.

They are identical.

Seaneh

Osu wrote: »

Inter team IMO:

---

J.Cesar

---

---

Lucio

---

Samuel

---

--Maicon

---

Zanetti--

---

Cambiasso---Motta

---

---

Muntari

---

---

Pandev

---

---

Eto'o

---

Milito

---

Also the team I see playing. Pandev and Eto'o pushing wide though.

jamsieboy86

Seaneh wrote: »

San Siro. 105m X 68m.

Camp Nou. 105m X 68m.


The san siro is always marked the same size and so is the camp nou.

They are identical.

Your right of course. There are lots of football pitches that are 105m X 68m, its the standard size that the IFAB decided upon.

I never understood why people, not just ShamoBuc, think the Nou Camp's pitch is bigger than the rest just because the stadium is the bigger.

redout

Catalan press reckon this will be the team

L'prof

redout wrote: »

Catalan press reckon this will be the team

I thought a bigger pitch would suit Barca better :pac:

fillmore jive

redout wrote: »

Catalan press reckon this will be the team

Would rather see yaya instead of busquets, I thought he was brilliant on saturday.

Warper

fillmore jive wrote: »

Would rather see yaya instead of busquets, I thought he was brilliant on saturday.

Or maybe Yaya instead of Keita.

eZe^

fillmore jive wrote: »

Would rather see yaya instead of busquets, I thought he was brilliant on saturday.

I reckon he'll get Keita's position, because he hasn't been anywhere near as good as he was at the start of the season. If Pep doesn't show his fate in Yaya over the next few weeks by playing him in big games then he's off to Arsenal/ Man City I reckon.

Frisbee

eZe^ wrote: »

If Pep doesn't show his fate in Yaya over the next few weeks by playing him in big games then he's off to Arsenal/ Man City I reckon.

flahavaj

If Toure is left out again on Weds, he has every right to get a bit p*ssed off tbh.

Pepe LeFrits

eZe^ wrote: »

I reckon he'll get Keita's position, because he hasn't been anywhere near as good as he was at the start of the season. If Pep doesn't show his fate in Yaya over the next few weeks by playing him in big games then he's off to Arsenal/ Man City I reckon.

Sorry Frisbee.

L'prof

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Sorry Frisbee.

Yeah, I can't see him coming to us after Kolo has left and if he did come to the premiership, I'd be surprised if he didn't go to City!

Frisbee

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Sorry Frisbee.

He will go to City if it comes to it.

Bigger pay packet, his brother is there and if they get 4th spot they will, unfortunately, look like a more attractive prospect than Arsenal.

Pepe LeFrits

Well I was more thinking along the lines that Wenger could have signed him at any countless number of occasions in the past and simply isn't interested, but most of the above is probably also true.

Eire-Dearg

Thought this was very intruiging myself, some of you Barca (and football fans alike) might like a read on the Ibra enigma -

http://backpagefootball.com/info/spain/the-enigma-of-ibra/

With the ever-presence of Opta in all its glory in 2010, anecdotal statistics seem to have become commonplace in football journalism. Numerous Twitter feeds regularly spew out information on what a player does or doesn’t do, when and how often they do it, and whereabouts. However, even @optajoe would agree, every unusual statistic should be treated with some degree of cynicism and not used as a yardstick to make a decision about a player one way or another. Especially when that player divides opinion as much as one Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The astonishing fact revealed by @sidlowe that Ibrahimovic ran only forty metres more than his own goalkeeper, Victor Valdes, during Barcelona’s 3-1 to Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday just adds fuel to the fire that’s nurtured by those who believe the Swedish striker is lazy, over-rated and doesn’t perform in important games.

Questions must obviously be raised at the revelation; Zlatan only played 62 minutes for one, and it must be asked why Valdes did so much running himself (amidst speculation they may have counted him picking the ball out of his own net). But the fact stays strong even without analysis, and when combined with the obvious poor performance of ‘Ibra’ throughout the game, his doubters in the English media have enough fodder to last them until his inevitable hat trick against his former club in two weeks time.

But is all this criticism justified? Andy Gray stated that Ibrahomovic had ’struggled’ in his first season at Barcelona during his commentary of the game. However twenty goals in thirty-six games, including fifteen in La Liga, would seem to disagree. Considering the man he changed places with, Samuel Eto’o, has scored only sixteen in thirty-eight games in Italy, Zlatan’s return grows in stature. On a similar stage, the Swede finished top scorer with twenty-five goals in Serie A in 2008-09, with four more goals arriving in other competitions. His manager at the time, Jose Mourinho, described him as such:

“I think there are four outstanding players in the world – Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kaká. At the moment, I think I have the best in the four – the best player in the world”

Such praise, from a man widely regarded as one of the greatest managers there has ever been, hints that the adulation thrown at the 28-year-old from all corners of the world may be fairly justified. As shown above, goals are something not missing from his overall game, and his pace and finishing ability combined with flamboyant exhibitions of individual skill (read: his ‘back’ pass earlier this season for Barca) display many qualities required to be named as one of the best players in the world. So where does the doubt come in?

Well, it turns out there is quite a lot of evidence for the opposition too. Zlatan’s two-goal haul against Arsenal in March produced his first ever goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League, after anonymous appearances in games against Manchester United for Inter Milan last season, and indeed against Inter themselves on Tuesday.

His four games for Sweden in the 2006 World Cup were entirely fruitless, and five of his sixteen goals for Sweden in forty appearances came in two games against lowly Malta (with two more coming against San Marino, if we’re being overly cynical). Ibrahimovic has consistently underperformed on a multitude of big occasions in the football calendar, and with Sweden missing out on South Africa in 2010, he has a maximum of two enormous games in which to prove the international doubters wrong, for this season at least.

The enigma of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to play on for a few years yet. Firstly, in England at least, we must ignore the tabloid idiocy that seems to describe him as a lazy, no-hoper purely because he has never produced the goods in a game screened on British terrestrial television. If his exceptional goals-per-game record happened to occur in the Premier League as opposed to Italy and Spain, this blinkered viewpoint would be shifted completely. However, to become a player that goes down in history as a great as opposed to an exceptional goal-poaching show pony, Ibrahimovic must continue to work out the lethargy and anonymity seen on Tuesday, and produce the kind of performance that the likes of Lionel Messi have done time and time again at five years his junior.

Only then, will all doubt of his talent be removed, and ‘Ibra’ can live up to Jose’s billing.

eZe^

Ibrahimovic's first CL K.O goal actually came in the first leg against Stuttgart. He's also never ever been a goal poacher, and will never be one. Comparing Eto'os goal haul in Italy this year vs Zlatan's last year is very very unfair too, especially considering it completely ignored any comparisons between Zlatan's goals this year for Barca vs Eto'os last year. Agree with the sentiments of the article though!

Ush1

I really don't get the bit about his international career. They list five of his sixteen goals as not that important? Umm, okay, what about the other eleven so? What 2 enormous games will define his international career?

Warper

Any updates on Sneijder?

I think Barca will do this, probably in extra-time. Messi will once again show his brilliance and put Inter to the sword.

This has the makings of the best game of the season.

If Barca do this I think it will go down as probably the greatest sporting achievement of all time :pac:

Shanotheslayer

Warper wrote: »

If Barca do this I think it will go down as probably the greatest sporting achievement of all time :pac:

Surely winning the CL twice in a row will beat that if they can do it?:P

Ush1

Warper wrote: »

Any updates on Sneijder?

I think Barca will do this, probably in extra-time. Messi will once again show his brilliance and put Inter to the sword.

This has the makings of the best game of the season.

If Barca do this I think it will go down as probably the greatest sporting achievement of all time :pac:

He's fit. Shocking I know.

flahavaj

In knew he would be when I heard an interview with Jose not long after the first leg gushing about how good Schneijder is and how there was no way in the world they could do without him in the second leg. It felt like he went out of his way to emphasise his importance. A boy Jose.

Pinturicchio

Mourinho:

“I can give you seven or eight names of my starting line-up,” smiled Mourinho. “It won’t be hard for you to guess, as I rarely rotate the squad very much.

“Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Thiago Motta, Sneijder, Eto'o, Milito. One more? I can’t tell you all of them.”

parker kent

Ush1 wrote: »

I really don't get the bit about his international career. They list five of his sixteen goals as not that important? Umm, okay, what about the other eleven so? What 2 enormous games will define his international career?

Ignoring those games leaves him with 11 in 38, not exactly a brilliant return given the transfer fee he commands. His 2006 WC performances were truly awful.

redout

Pep “go out to win from the start. Our aim is to be true to ourselves – that’s the only way we will win this game”.“what is that? Playing football well, working hard, keeping hold of the ball moving it quickly and attacking as much as we can – that’s what we are about”“We're very happy, it's a pleasure to be faced with this match and I want the players to know this is a privilege, an honour that we might not have again. I want them to enjoy it and I want the fans to see this as a huge party. I know how we have to deal with the game, even though we have a tough result to come back from”.“in the end this is just a game of football - the magic nights are only achieved after 90 minutes. I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to be in a game like this and I can’t wait for it to get under way. We want to play as well as we can. We‘re not thinking about Inter, about their boss, about their great players. No, the most important thing is that we are true to our game and we want to play our best to defeat one of Europe’s best teams”. “we are thrilled that the fans are so excited. The fans will come and support us, to give a hand to 11 players who will be giving everything they can, they’ll not stop running and they’ll be moving that ball around as fast as they can. In the end, you just feel grateful to the fans, we have to thank them”.“this is a generation of fantastic players. If things go well or badly, these players will never be forgotten. Nobody can take their status away”.

redout

Barcelona
Out: Andrés Iniesta (right thigh), Eric Abidal (groin tear)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: Carles Puyol
Misses next match if booked: Daniel Alves, Gerard Piqué

• Abidal failed a fitness test on Tuesday so Maxwell could start while Gabriel Milito may replace Puyol, meaning he could face elder brother Diego.



Inter
Out: Davide Santon (knee), Francesco Toldo (leg)
Doubtful: Goran Pandev (thigh)
Suspended: Dejan Stanković
Misses next match if booked: Samuel Eto'o, Maicon, Walter Samuel, Javier Zanetti

• Inter are hopeful that Pandev can recover from his first-leg injury while Wesley Sneijder was withdrawn at half-time against Atalanta BC on Saturday with a hamstring problem.

Frisbee

redout wrote: »

Misses next match if booked: Daniel Alves, Gerard Piqué

Pique was suspended for the second leg of the Arsenal game yeah?

So the only game he could have been booked in since is the first leg of this?
Is it not three bookings means you miss the next game?

Pinturicchio

redout wrote: »

Misses next match if booked: Samuel Eto'o, Maicon, Walter Samuel, Javier Zanetti

It'd be a cruel blow if Zanetti missed the final. Surely his last chance of winning it.

flahavaj

Pinturicchio wrote: »

It'd be a cruel blow if Zanetti missed the final. Surely his last chance of winning it.

If they put Barca out and he missed the final I'd be as gutted for him as I was for Kene and Scholes in 99, or Fletch last year.:(

Jose meanwhile begins the mind games:

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho claims Barcelona are "obsessed" with winning the Champions League at the Bernabeu - home of arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Barcelona are 3-1 down to the Italian champions going into Wednesday's semi-final second leg at the Nou Camp.

And Mourinho is determined to end the Catalan side's hopes of retaining Europe's top club trophy on 22 May.

"It is not a dream for Barca, it is obsession. The obsession is reaching the final in Madrid," he said.

"It's one thing to follow a dream, it's another to have an obsession. For Barca it is an obsession."

Mourinho witnessed Barca's desire to outdo Real Madrid at first hand when he worked as an assistant to Sir Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal at the club.

Phil Minshull

"I experienced what it is like here, I have won cups - against Betis in 1997 - at the Bernabeu, where everyone was wrapped in Catalan flags I know what it is about, it is anti-Madridismo. It is an obsession," explained the former Chelsea boss.

"A dream is more pure than an obsession, an obsession is more about pride.

"Barca achieved a dream winning the Champions League in Paris and Rome last year but this time it is more about Madrid and playing at the Santiago Bernabeu."

Having hyped up the importance of the game to Barcelona, the Inter boss continued his mind games by playing down the importance of the tournament to him.

"I can't say for me it is a personal dream [to win the Champions League] as I have won it before but I want to win it for Inter as it is more than 40 years since they got to the final," stated Mourinho.

"If I can help Mr Moratti [Massimo Moratti, the Inter president], if I can help the players and if I can contribute a little bit as coach to achieve this dream then I would be very happy."

Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets conceded the destination of the final was a huge consideration for the Spanish giants.

"The team is always ambitious but this time I have noticed something special. There is a lot of expectation riding on this game," said Busquets.

"We are a step away from the final and so this is the moment of truth. We have the best fans in the world and it is sure to be a magical night. We can't lose our heads though and play without thinking."

Defender Gerard Pique echoed his team-mates sentiments and added: "It's one of the most important matches in our recent history.

"I hope the atmosphere makes the Inter players hate their profession for 90 minutes."

We will try and play clean football but we are accustomed to seeing Barca players diving

Inter midfielder Thiago Motta

However, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who was captain when Mourinho worked at the Catalan club, moved to dampen the hysteria.

He said: "We have to control the position of the ball and attack in a better way than the first leg.

"We must be ourselves, basically. Inter doesn't matter, their coach doesn't matter - what matters is we're ourselves. If we do that, job done. It's not magic, it's a game of football.

"They have the right to want to play the final but they should know that we have much, much desire to play the final in Madrid.

"I have a very good relationship with Jose Mourinho. We haven't exchanged phone numbers but I consider him the best and we'll try to beat him."

Inter midfielder Thiago Motta turned up the war of words between the two clubs by hitting out at the Barca players.

"We will try and play clean football but we are accustomed to seeing Barca players diving and so we hope that the referee does his job well," he said.

However, Motta's manager Mourinho was more diplomatic in explaining the challenges he feels the referee will face.

"I told my players I want a clean game. What I'm worried about are the players who help the referees and those who make their lives difficult," commented Mourinho.

"If Barcelona's players want to do the same - easy for the referee."

If he pulls this one off hes the best current manager in the world IMO.

s_carnage

Frisbee wrote: »

Pique was suspended for the second leg of the Arsenal game yeah?

So the only game he could have been booked in since is the first leg of this?
Is it not three bookings means you miss the next game?

For your first suspension it takes three yellows then after that its every two so 3-5-7 and so on. He got booked alright last week

Warper

flahavaj wrote: »

If they put Barca out and he missed the final I'd be as gutted for him as I was for Kene and Scholes in 99, or Fletch last year.:(

Jose meanwhile begins the mind games:


If he pulls this one off hes the best current manager in the world IMO.

And if Guardiola pulls it off surely he must go down as one of the best.

flahavaj

Warper wrote: »

And if Guardiola pulls it off surely he must go down as one of the best.

100% agreed.

It would be one of the greatest achievements of all time if he could retain La Liga and the CL given:

1. The money Real spent in the Summer and how consistently they have performed

2. How almost impossibly hard the CL is to retain.

This semi final has so many layers, from the battle for greatness between two young managers, the two brothers on opposing teams, Ibra and Eto playing against their former clubs, the diference in styles of the two teams, the way the first legs scoreline has set it up. I'm looking forward to this as a neutral fan as much as any game in years. It basically the final for me.

RandolphEsq

My money is on a 4-4 draw. The planets have aligned for a freak event!

SlickRic

that quote from Pep on redout's post is absolutely legendary.

i really love that guy.

speedboatchase

Warper wrote: »

And if Guardiola pulls it off surely he must go down as one of the best.

True, but if Mourinho wins the treble for Inter he'll go down as one of the best ever too

IvySlayer

Wonder how Inter will approach this tactically? Will they start straight from the off, rattle Barca, try to get an away goal to put the tie to bed. Will they park the bus for the 90?

I can't ****ing wait for this.

Warper

I think this is the most eagerly awaited CL game in recent memory. With the scoreline the way it is and the second leg at Camp Nou the expectation is massive. The 2 best teams in Europe going head-to-head with Barca flying at Inter - this is one game I would love to be at, it really could be something special. Messi will shine tonight.

gimmick

I think Barca will come out all guns blazing much like against Arsenal in The Emirates. Hopefully this will rattle Inter. However a huge element of cautuion will be needed as Inter are excellent going forward and they will expose any weaknesses quickly.

Barca have beaten Inter 2-0 already this season. No reason why it will not happen again tonight. What more motivation do they need? First back to back winners, in the Bernabeu. Cannot be more sweet than that.

I really really hope he starts Toure tonight, either instead of Keita (who has been very ineffective in recent weeks), or preferably instead of Busquets who I have lost all faith in recently.