Inter central midfielder Nicolo Barella has shared his belief that he and his teammates have proven many people wrong with their performance in the 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League quarter finals.
Barella opened the scoring for Inter on the 15th minute mark with an outside of the boot finish from outside the box and his goal was soon followed up by one from Romelu Lukaku. Bayer Leverkusen’s goal meanwhile came from Kai Havertz a short time after Lukaku’s.
“Today we proved to the many who said we were not a team that we are a great group, made up of people with balls. We deserved to win this match,” he explained in an interview with Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, a short while following the full time whistle at the Merkur Spiel-Arena.
He was then asked about the second penalty that Inter had awarded to them and then rescinded as a result of the ball coming off his hand whilst he was on the floor.
“I was on the ground, I didn’t see the ball but the important thing was to see the match out and we did it.”
Barella then returned to discuss the match as a whole, what the team could have done better and what was important about this match for the team.
“We could have killed the game off earlier and maybe rested a bit, but Bayer Leverkusen are a great team and they put us in difficulty. Today, more than doing well, it was important to show that we are a team and we achieved this qualification by fighting tooth and nail.”
In conclusion he was asked whether or not there should be clubs fearing coming up against them in what remains of the competition, which is due to conclude on August 21.
“Of course. Just like we fear others, others must fear us.”
