Barcelona 1-0 Inter Milan Champions League Recap, Catenacco, Mourinho the Mastermind

Published by adam | Filed under Champions League, Football (aka soccer)

Barcelona, although winning the game 1-0, does not advance to the Champions League Final as 10-man Inter held firm at Camp Nou in front of 95,000 fans. This was a game about the good and evil of football, and evil prevailed.

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Barcelona plays like the dream of Joga Bonita through class and sheer ball control. Barcelona stands for the bright future of football while their opponents the shameful past. Simply put, Inter deserve to go through, but Barcelona is still the better team, just not the better coached one. Although you should not need motivation for the semi-finals of the Champions League, Jose Mourinho knows how to prepare his players. Inter has now beaten Chelsea and Barcelona on their quest for their first Champions League final since well 1965 in Milan where they beat Benfica 1-0.


Many fans of football are calling the game and the strategy of Inter “Anti-football.” I personally do not like the word anti-football but of course agree that it ruins the beauty of the game. And we thought Catenacco was a thing of the past.


As for the match, Barcelona dominated possession 86% to Inter’s mere 14%. Inter just managed one shot on goal that I will not even call an opportunity. It was rare to see Inter string together 3 consecutive passes. The parking bus tactics of Inter were impenetrable. Barcelona had very few outside shots in what looked like they almost were refusing to try. Messi’s and Bojan’s attempts were the closest thing to goals. Had Messi beaten Julio Cesar with his first-half curling left footer, the game would surely have been different. Play of the game. Save of the year for Cesar.


Bojan could have been the hero, but made a mess of his header. Gerard Pique’s 84th strike was brilliant, but too little too late. On Barcelona’s second “goal” which was ruled a hand ball before Bojan ripped it into the net was rather controversial. The ball however, did touch at least one hand of Yaya Toure. To quiet all of the stir, the ball touched the hands, not vice versa, but the ball fell to the feet of the player giving him an unfair advantage. Hand ball. No Goal. Good call ref.


Many people are wondering where was Henry? Pep Guardiola choose not to include the striker but employed Bojan for Ibrahimovic just as Barcelona was beginning to find space to cross the ball into the box. Ibrah was absent for the vast majority of the game, but how do you expect for Xavi, Pedro, Bojan, and Messi, to out jump the likes of Lucio, Zanetti, and company?


Anyways, Mourinho’s celebration was stunning. The manager did not really acknowledge the players who played their hearts out and earned their place in the finals, but saw himself sprinting to the center of the pitch with a finger in the air.


Sergi Busquets, after a Thiago Motta push to the face, did fall to the ground clutching his face as he had been floored by Mike Tyson in what is surely characterized as anti-football. The rather unjust card will see Motta sidelined for the final. Check the video out here (Who Ate All the Pies). Priceless. But, for Inter, it was collective.

Post game, Barcelona turned on the sprinklers in an attempt to tell the Italians to leave. When I say Italians, I am referring to Inter Milan who by the way doesn’t start a single Italian. Balotelli is the only Italian to occasionally see the pitch while Materazzi is always there on the sidelines waiting to choke him for his on-the-field antics and misbehavior.


Apparently there were Barca fans having a parade in front of the Inter hotel until 4 AM. The cops were called at 11 PM but arrived at 3:30 PM. None of the above is very good for football but it keeps the fans happy.


The final does bring about a big change in the norm of Champions League football with representatives from the Bundesliga and Serie A in the final. Ironically, fans have hoisted the EPL and La Liga into the spotlight as the best leagues in the world. Sad to say, I still agree. The final however, has the potential to be a good game with attacking duos at both ends. Snydier/Milito vs Robben/Olic will be the story line at the end of the day.


Bayern is no longer a team to underestimate. Mourinho the Mastermind knows this.


Grande Inter. You did your job brilliantly. Hey, it was your only chance.