Barcelona lost to Inter Milan 1-0 on Tuesday night at San Siro despite playing below par. The Catalans' second straight Champions League defeat was caused by a number of other circumstances in addition to their poor performance.
Late in the first half, Inter took the lead thanks to Hakan Calhanoglu, but the second half was marred by controversy. Barcelona was unable to get an equalizer despite having a goal disallowed and two penalties not awarded wrongly.
Even though they dominated the possession, xG, attempts on goal, and other attacking statistics, the Blaugrana had to settle for zero points in the end. The team will attempt to move on from yesterday's outcome as soon as possible because, unlike the loss to Bayern Munich, there are no positives to be drawn from it.
Three key lessons from the shocker in Milan are presented by Barça Sphere.
1. A Tenacious Defense By Inter Milan.
When Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan defeated Barcelona in 2010, the entire world was in disbelief. What was more amazing was how the Italian team parked the bus while effectively neutralizing the Golden Generation's rabid attack.
Although the Champions League match between the two clubs on Tuesday may not have garnered as much attention as the match in 2010, there are a startling amount of similarities between the two matches. Inter Milan went back in time at the Giuseppe Meazza. Barcelona's buildup was often interrupted by the Italian defense, who did not leave a single inch of space on the field, disrupting their rhythm. The Catalans were clearly uncomfortable and never really engaged in the game.
Similar to how Lionel Messi was man-marked by Mourinho in 2010, Simone Inzaghi's team made Robert Lewandowski vanish from view. The crosses from Ousmane Dembele were drawn towards the Italian defender's body like magnets, and Raphinha was frequently trapped between three players.
There is no denying that Barcelona performed poorly on the night, and Xavi should be concerned about the reasons behind his team's bumbling performance against Inter. But the Serie A team deserves praise for their outstanding defense, which was on display. The hosts made an astounding 22 tackles, 13 interceptions, and 35 clearances in 90 minutes against Barcelona. This amounts to a defensive action taking place every 1.2 minutes.
2. Poor Officiating
The terrible refereeing during the third-round Champions League match in Milan had to be the main talking point. Xavi was vocal in his criticism of the referees after the game, and for good cause.
To start with, the FIFA rulebook allowed for Barcelona's equalizer in the second half. Even if Ansu Fati's hand did briefly come into contact with the ball during the buildup, the official regulations make it clear that such goals should stand.
All through the incident involving Denzel Dumfries' handball, things only got worse. Similar to how it clipped Fati's fingertips, the ball also managed to touch the fingers of the Dutch international. The ball certainly appeared to strike the defender's palm during the three-minute VAR investigation following the event. Even so, the referee was not called to the pitch-side monitor to exercise his discretion. The claim was directly rejected by the Video Assistant Referee, who also requested that play resume. How long can such discrimination continue?
The list of obvious refereeing mistakes is endless. When Robert Lewandowski was brought down in the box, Barcelona was denied another penalty, and Hakan Calhanoglu was not dismissed for his terrifying tackle on Sergio Busquets' ankle.
3. In The UCL, There Is A Hill To Climb.
Barcelona is now in third position in the UCL standings behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan after their last two games produced a combined score of 0 points. The Catalans cannot afford to play in the UEFA Europa League for a second straight season, but the road to qualifying is not without difficulty.
For Xavi's team, the following three matches are must-win contests. Fortunately, the Blaugrana face both Bayern Munich and Inter Milan at home, and victories on both nights might advance them to the round of 16. It is, however, simpler said than done. Next week, when Barcelona takes on Inzaghi's team once more at Spotify Camp Nou, the arduous climb will start. If they win the upcoming match, they can pass the Nerazzurri and move up to second place. However, if they lose, their chances of making it to the Round of 16 are all but gone.
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