Barcelona host Serie A league leaders Inter Milan on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League, in what is expected to be an exciting duel between the two heavyweights of European football. Inter, under new manager Antonio Conte, have had a fantastic start so far, winning all six of their league matches and lead the table by two points ahead of Juventus.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are fourth in La Liga, two points behind Real Madrid at the top of the table. The hosts will have a tough game against a well-drilled Inter side, who have quite a few exciting players in attack as well.
Let’s take a look at three key battles between Barcelona and Inter Milan:
Antoine Griezmann vs Antonio Candreva
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi may not start the match owing to an injury which means that the onus of leading the attack might be on Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman has had a good start to his Barcelona career, scoring 3 times and assisting twice in his seven appearances for his new team.
He could cause a lot of trouble for Inter wing-back Antonio Candreva, who is not the strongest defensively in the Inter backline. Griezmann could drift in from the left into central areas, which could cause confusion in the three-man central defensive partnership of Inter.
Stefano Sensi vs Frenkie de Jong
Inter’s loan signing from Sassuolo, Stefano Sensi, has made a big impact for his new side in the opening games of the season, scoring thrice and making two assists from midfield. The diminutive Italian has the vision, passing range, technique, and aggression to cause problems to the opposition midfield, which Barca will have to be wary about.
He will come up against another young midfielder in Frenkie de Jong, who has had a steady start to his Barcelona career. The Dutchman will have to get on the ball and rotate it well, as well as move it forward whenever he gets the opportunity to not just create chances for his side, but also stop Sensi from playing his natural game and having a control on the proceedings.
Luis Suarez vs Stefan de Vrij
Luis Suarez has come under some criticism from his own fans this season despite scoring three goals in five appearances in La Liga for Barcelona. Suarez will need to up his performances and take his opportunities, which he will be desperate to do against Inter.
He will come face-to-face with a very good central defender in Stefan de Vrij – as well as compatriot Diego Godin – which will make it even more difficult for him to get the Barca fans off his back and ensure he gets some more time in the first team to get his form back.