Inter manager Luciano Spalletti shared his pride at the character his team showed to rally round after conceding late to score a late goal of their own to secure a 1-1 draw with Barcelona.
“It seemed as if the game would end goalless but then came this unexpected goal from them but the reaction of my players, who did not accept defeat, was fundamental,” he told Sky Sport.
“In the first half we struggled because, as with in the first leg, we could not keep the ball. We left a lot of spaces for them and despite creating problems for Barcelona we were not good at using the ball. In this respect, unfortunately, they are even stronger than us.”
Spalletti proceeded to praise Barcelona for their performance and his side for the attitude they showed.
“They are so good at passing it crisply and shrugging off defenders, it’s really remarkable to watch from the touchline. The timing is so good, as if you press them, they’ll immediately hit you in the space left behind. Barcelona went close to scoring several times, but the team played with courage and had the attitude that the crowd wanted, so we’re happy about that.”