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FC Barcelona were defeated by a narrow 1-0 margin by Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 4. The result saw the hosts jump into second place while the visitors dropped to third spot.
Barca came into this contest having smashed Viktoria Plzen 5-1 and lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich. However, they were at the top of La Liga as they looked to bring their domestic form into European competition.
Xavi Hernandez fielded a lineup with a makeshift defense. Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo remain sidelined alongside Frenkie de Jong.
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Barcelona dominated possession of the ball as expected but faced a few scares early in the game as Inter Milan created chances out of nothing. Hakan Calhanoglu and Federico Dimarco both struck clean shots goalwards in the early stages. Robert Lewandowski had the visitors' best chance early in the period.
There was drama midway through the first half as there were appeals for a clear handball by Eric Garcia to be given as a penalty to Inter. However, the referee pulled play back for an offside in the build-up and the score remained level. Despite Barcelona keeping 69% possession of the ball, both sides attempted five shots with two on target.
However, it was Inter Milan who broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time. Calhanoglu was rewarded for his persistence as he scored from 25 yards out with a low, driven shot. The referee blew his whistle for half-time shortly after.
There was plenty of drama for both Inter Milan and Barcelona in the second half as both managers made a host of changes. However, Inter arguably had better luck on the night.
Barcelona came out for the second half in the same fashion as they did for the first, using possession as their main approach. However, Inter looked determined to defend their one-goal lead in front of their own fans. The hosts were lucky as Pedri's equalizer after 68 minutes was ruled out for a handball by Ansu Fati in the build-up.
Several yellow cards later, there was another incident in the dying embers that required a VAR check. Denzel Dumfries appeared to have handled the ball while attempting to clear it and was very fortunate to not get penalized. Inter Milan held on and secured a crucial 1-0 win over Barcelona.
That said, let's take a look at how the visitors' players fared.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 6/10
Ter Stegen was tested several times and was only beaten by a pinpoint effort from Calhanoglu. Apart from that, he made one save and distributed the ball with 91% accuracy including eight long balls.
Sergi Roberto - 6.5/10
Roberto made a decent start to the game. He won two of his five duels and made two tackles. He also played three accurate long balls.
Andreas Christensen - 6.5/10
Christensen looked solid in defense and used his physicality well to deal with Lautaro Martinez. However, he suffered an injury that forced him off early in the second half. He won four of his six duels, making one interception, one block and one clearance.
Eric Garcia - 6/10
Garcia was extremely lucky to get away with what appeared to be a deliberate handball offense. However, VAR spared his blushes. He won three of his five duels and made three clearances, three tackles and one interception.
Marcos Alonso - 6.5/10
Alonso often ventured forward on the left flank to aid his team's attacking play. He won three of his five duels, making four clearances, one block and one tackle. He also played one accurate cross and three accurate long balls.
Gavi - 6.5/10
Gavi looked sharp in midfield and played with energy. He passed the ball with 87% accuracy, including one key pass and one long ball. He won five of his seven duels, making two tackles. He was also booked for an argument.
Sergio Busquets - 6.5/10
Busquets had a decent game in the middle of the park for Barcelona. He won eight of his 10 duels and played two accurate long balls. He also made one interception and two tackles and was booked for a foul.
Pedri - 7/10
Pedri looked sharp from the start and put in a great effort on both ends of the pitch. He completed 88 passes with 92% accuracy including a stunning 13 long balls. He also won five of his eight ground duels.
Raphinha - 6/10
Raphinha used his pace and trickery well on the flanks but was unable to provide an end product. He passed the ball with 81% accuracy, including two key passes, four crosses and one long ball.
Robert Lewandowski - 5.5/10
Lewandowski had a couple of chances to shoot in the first half but could not muster a shot powerful enough. He won just two of his eight duels and attempted just one shot on target.
Ousmane Dembele - 6.5/10
Dembele made key runs ahead but failed to make a telling impact with the ball in the final third. However, he turned it around in the second half. He played three key passes, five accurate crosses and three accurate long balls.
Substitutes
Gerard Pique - 6.5/10
Pique replaced the injured Christensen and put in a decent performance.
Ansu Fati - 6/10
Fati came on in the second half and was in the thick of two crucial VAR decisions.
Alejandro Balde - 6.5/10
Balde came on in the second half and put in a decent performance for Barcelona.
Franck Kessie - N/A
He came on for the closing stages and did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.
