Inter Milan and Barcelona Draw 0-0 At San Siro: Match Analysis

Lineups:

Barcelona came out in their trusted 4-3-3 formation wearing their dazzling new orange/pink away kit. Victor Valdes was in goal, with captain Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique in the centre of defense. Eric Abidal started at left back, with Dani Alves at right back.

Xavi, Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita made up the three man midfield, with Toure in a more withdrawn position in the middle, Keita on the left and Xavi on the right.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic led the forward line on his return to the San Siro, with Lionel Messi to his right and Thierry Henry to his left.

Inter Milan, in their home blue and black stripped shirts featured a 4-4-2 diamond formation with Julio Cesar in goal. Their back line consisted of Cristian Chivu at left back, Walter Samuel and Lucio in the centre, and Maicon at right back.

The captain Javier Zanetti played at right midfield, with Sulley Muntari at left midfield. Thiago Motta acted as the defensive midfielder and Wesley Sneijder the attacking point of the diamond.

Former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o led the Inter attack, partnered with fellow new-signing Diego Milito.

First Half:

Barcelona started brightly as Messi rounded Lucio to squeeze a shot off that was well saved by Cesar.

The match slowed a bit after that, as each side probed for an opening, and both teams were a bit sloppy in possession.

Inter’s Argentinean captain Zanetti soon took over, flying up and down the pitch making tackles and pressuring Barcelona’s defense. He was excellent in possession, showing crisp passing that set up chances for his teammates.

Much of the action went through Zanetti and Maicon on the right, but the Brazilian full back was not at his marauding best, and wasted a few good opportunities.

Barcelona’s captain Puyol seemed a bit slow, and both he and Pique struggled to cope with Diego Milito. Inter’s striker made several dummy moves and got some shots off, but they were saved by Valdes.

Barcelona’s defense seemed to be taking too much time with the ball, and Zanetti almost caught up to Valdes before he could clear in the 30^th minute.

Towards the end of the half Barcelona enjoyed some good sustained possession but they could not seem to break into the final third, and instead fired shots in from distance.

Alves was a consistent threat in the Inter half, putting in a “winger-esque” display. He was the furthest Barcelona player forward at times, and while his crossing was dangerous, his teammates were unable to latch on to the other end.

Xavi played well and controlled much of the action in the middle of the park, but Ibrahimovic still seemed a step off the pace, and often held the ball too long.

Inter’s defenders did a great job of keeping everything in front of them, and put on a disciplined show.

Milito was a threat when provided service, but Barcelona contained Eto’o well, and did not allow him to trouble their goal.

The half ended much as it started with Messi firing a shot that Cesar tipped over the bar.

The match remained scoreless at the break.

Second Half:

Inter seemed content to sit back and defend in the second half, and Barcelona had the vast majority of the ball.

The Italian side seemed content to lob long balls over the heads of Barcelona’s defenders, mostly directed toward Milito. The striker was frequently caught offside, and Inter were unable to sustain much possession.

Xavi continued to shine in the center of the park, but Barcelona were going for the killer pass rather than shooting when the opportunity was presented.

They frequently made one pass too many, and Inter showed some excellent defending, nipping in for the crucial interception, or throwing themselves in front of the attacker to block the shot.

As the match progressed, Messi and Ibrahimovic were guilty of holding the ball too long. They dallied in front of the Inter box, often passing back out to start the attack over.

Inter’s defending continued to impress, and they kept their shape well. The visitors frequently had the ball in good positions on the flank but were unable to cross inside.

Dejan Stankovic was introduced for Muntari on 62 minutes, and the home side had an excellent chance four minutes later. Milito successfully sprung the offside trap but could not get off a shot at goal.

He left it for Stankovic at the top of the box with a clear view of goal, only for the midfielder to fire over.

Henry was replaced by Andres Iniesta in the 76^th minute, and the smooth Spanish international looked bright in his 15 minutes of action.

Inter brought on their two teenage sensations late in the match as Davide Santon replaced Sneijder, and Mario Balotelli took Milito’s place in attack.

The pace of the match quickened slightly with the youngsters and Iniesta involved, but neither side proved able to break the deadlock.

Iniesta especially seemed full of vigor, and one wonders if he could have unlocked the Inter defense had he been given more time.

Overall it was a decent 90 minutes of football, and special credit must be given to referee Wolfgang Stark for his calm and confident performance.

It was not the result either side was hoping for, but they will be content with a point each.

Perhaps in the return leg, November 24^th at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, we will see more fireworks.