Inter-Barça: only one fits

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A double game against Inter — as if it were a first leg tie (this Tuesday in Milan, 9:00 p.m.) and return (Wednesday 12 at the Camp Nou), and not a league that also includes Bayern and Viktoria Plzen — will mark the future of Barça.

The sporting and economic situation requires the Catalans to overcome a group stage that has the German champion as leader.

Europe has been the wall of Barcelona fans since the conquest of Berlin in 2015. That year a continental ordeal began for a team that in January 2020 even fired its coach, Ernesto Valverde, when he was leader of the League, a tournament that today Athletic coach had won in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.

The chimera for the Champions League was so great that the Spanish championship was taken for granted at the Camp Nou.

Quique Setién, Valverde's substitute, also kept the Barcelona players as first until June 20, 2020. It is not just any date if you take into account that since then Barcelona had not been the leader of the League again.

Now, 91 games later, they boast of being top of the table because, despite having the same points as Madrid, they have scored (19) and conceded fewer goals (1).

He is backed by the least beaten goalkeeper (Ter Stegen) and Lewandowski's Pichichi (nine goals).

The leadership tastes like glory at the Camp Nou.

Once the competitiveness in the League has been recovered, the azulgrana aspire to be someone in the Champions League again.

The flag is no longer carried by Messi but by Lewandowski, the coach is Xavi and the president is Laporta.

The recent past is not of interest, but rather the distant one that began precisely with Laporta.

And those who have won the title know that the Champions League is played at a different pace and code than the League.

This was confirmed in Munich after a very good Barcelona game: 2-0.

The defeat now requires overcoming an Inter team that also lost to the Germans at the San Siro 0-2.

The results ensure that the Italians are going through a bad time: they have lost and won the same games in their championship (4) and are eight points behind leaders Napoli.

They also have very important players injured, such as Brozovic and Lukaku.

Nor is it certain that Lautaro Martínez can play.

The Catalans, however, do not trust Simone Inzaghi's team.

“They form a very good block, they play direct and vertical, and they are physically strong.

We can't let them run”, warned Xavi.

It is enough to remember the excellent confrontation they waged last season against a Liverpool that would end up playing the final with Madrid.

“The Champions League is a tournament of details and moments”, insisted Xavi.

“We have to show our personality, take risks, be brave”, closed the Barcelona coach.

The absences of Araujo, Koundé, Bellerín and Frenkie de Jong complicate the Barça coach's plans, especially in the position of right-back, circumstances that could lead Xavi to have a defense with three centre-backs just like Inter.

No one doubts in any case the return of Marcos Alonso, who was already a starter in Munich.

“It would not be the first time that he played as a central defender on the left,” said the defender that Barcelona signed from Chelsea in the summer.

"City, Bayern and Barcelona are the best playing teams right now," Inzaghi replied politely.

“We therefore have a unique opportunity to vindicate ourselves,” he added.

“We will play with all our strength and we hope to hit Barça at the right moment”.

Although from different positions in their leagues, the two teams have no margin for error;

Only one of the two fits in the Champions League.

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