Inter scored their first goal in 5 matches at the Camp Nou after it only took 3 minutes for Lautaro to slip a left footed shot past Ter Stergen. Inter managed the first half very well and carved out better chances than a team that included a certain Lionel Messi.
Arguably, Conte’s men could have gone in 2,3 goals ahead but after half time and especially after Vidal came on, Barcelona took their game up a level and it took two world class finishes to break a strong Inter rearguard.
Samir Handanovic – 6.5: Can’t do much on both the goals. Did his basics well, led the defence brilliantly and passed the ball around better than he has done before. Capitano.
Milan Skriniar – 6.5: Had an almost impossible task of playing against Messi but fared pretty well. No bookings, no dangerous fouls while keeping the ball when he could.
Stefan de Vrij – 7: Supremely under-rated. Kept his cool, never lost his man or the ball when it mattered. You hardly notice him but he silently dictates everything.
Diego Godin – 6: The only time he got beaten is on the second goal. Maybe Barella should also be doing more. Diego’s leadership and experience are invaluable to Conte.
Antonio Candreva – 5.5: Didn’t attack much but when he did, it looked good. Scored an offside goal but his primary job was to defend and got his positioning right all night.
Nicolo Barella – 6: You don’t get much time on the ball if you are an opposing midfielder against Barca. Still managed to have an impact. Could have stopped the volley.
Marcelo Brozovic – 7: He bettered his masterclass against Sampdoria. This time he had to do more defensively and harried Messi successfully for 80 minutes or so. Renewal please.
Stefano Sensi – 6.5: Played as expected to a high level. Unlucky that the curler didn’t bulge the back of the net. Should have probably won a penalty. Irreplaceable.
Kwadwo Asamoah – 5.5: Only task tonight was to defend and he more or less managed to do that. Couldn’t balance out his game by showing his attacking prowess.
Lautaro Martinez – 7: Lautaro showed tonight why he is so highly rated. As he grows and matures he will convert chances like the header Ter Stergen saved. Ran for 2.
Alexis Sanchez – 6: Positive performance for sure, but Conte would like him to be a little more involved. Still getting his fitness levels up. Managed to get an assist.
R0berto Gagliardini – 6: Came on after the first goal to shut down Vidal and managed to do it for the 25 minutes or so he was on. Too bad that Messi and Suarez clicked again.
Danilo D’Ambrosio – 5.5: Given 19 minutes to do what Candreva was doing. Couldn’t run into space as Inter were too deep but at the same time had to keep Dembele quiet which he did.
Matteo Politano – 5: Yet another time Matteo is asked to bring impact but Inter didn’t give him the ball enough. Poor decision leads to the counter and goal in the 84th minute.
Antonio Conte – 5: The plan works until half time. The subs were all reactive to Barca’s and left Lautaro high and dry for about 20 minutes. Not an easy place to get points.
Skomina – 5: Gets most bookings right. Gets a majority of free kick calls right. The VAR team should be in his ears for the Sensi penalty call. Leads to the first goal.
Inter – 5: Inter played like a big team at the Camp Nou and could have been 2 goals ahead with half an hour to go. Unlucky but plenty learnt tonight. Onwards.
Agree? Disagree? Why hasn’t Brozo renewed yet? Do Inter stand a chance at the San Siro against Barcelona? Or is the Champions League adventure over, two games in?
Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter and Facebook.