Champions League preview: Barcelona v Inter Milan (agg: 1-3)
The gushing praise that flooded Barcelona’s way after their demolition of Arsenal has evaporated, leaving behind only memories, golden moments and then a deflating 3-1 defeat at the San Siro.
Inter Milan hold all the cards ahead of tonight’s second leg, with Barça knowing that a win by two clear goals is needed to progress to their second consecutive final.
It’s tempting to say that these such storied nights are the nights where legends are born, but Pep Guardiola has already written his name all over the Barcelona history books as both player and coach, while the whole world must know how “special” José Mourinho is by now, and if they don’t yet then he’ll tell them.
He’s been having his say before this one too. “For Inter it [a place in the final] is a dream; for Barcelona it’s an obsession,” he said. “There is a difference. A dream is more pure than an obsession. For Barcelona it is an obsession called Madrid and Santiago Bernabéu.”
It’s not a criticism, he insists, but as usual he knows the exact weight of his words without the aid of a set of scales.
Perhaps the thought of planting a Catalan flag in the home of Barça’s most hated, Madridista rivals after the May 22nd final has become less of an ideal scenario and more a cloying, choking fixation. They were imagining how glorious a golden night at the Bernabéu would be when Leo Messi was dancing around Arsenal, but now it’s so close they can taste it. They are playing a better side than the Gunners now, but they dare not fail because failure isn’t an option.
Maybe it explains their subdued performance eight days ago. Barça never got out of first gear at the San Siro, and while some questionable decisions from Portuguese referee Olegário Benquerença – “he owns a restaurant with Mourinho!” shouted one Catalan newspaper, falsely – certainly didn’t help them, they never hit the heights that everyone knows they can. They hope that the Nou Camp factor can make the difference tonight.
“For 90 minutes, I hope the atmosphere makes the Inter players hate their profession,” says Gerard Piqué, before adding, as somewhat of an afterthought, “but without violence or provocation.”
Piqué will be without central defensive partner Carles Puyol tonight, who’s suspended after a harsh booking from Benquerença in the first leg, while Andrés Iniesta and Eric Abidal are injured, and Piqué and Daniel Alves face missing the final if they are booked – Alves for the second consecutive year.
Inter have Dejan Stanković suspended, while Goran Pandev is a doubt and Samuel Eto’o, Maicon, Walter Samuel and Javier Zanetti are a booking away from final heartbreak. That won’t affect Mourinho’s plans though, few things do.
His clever words are all a part of the gameplan, which Inter will attempt to put into action tonight.
Ahead 3-1, there a few better coaches in this situation than Mourinho, and Inter have a real chance to make the final and fulfil their obsessive desire for a first European Cup since 1965.
Their dream, sorry. Dreams are purer than obsessions.
Prediction: Barcelona 2 Inter Milan 2
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