Inter Milan 1-1 Barcelona: Hits and Flops

#2 Samir Handanovic

Handanovic made a number of crucial saves for Inter Milan

‘Batman’, as he is called due to his super sharp reflexes, is widely regarded to be the best goalkeeper in Serie A, and rightly so, as he has proven to be one of the most consistent performers for Inter Milan since his 2012 arrival.

He has earned a reputation of being something of a penalty specialist, and in 2011/2012, he saved a total of six penalties for Udinese which equaled an all-time league record set way back in 1949, and is one of only three non-Italians to have been named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year (on two occasions).

However, he is not just about saving penalties, as the 34-year-old has a penchant for making extraordinary saves. Thanks to his reflexes, Handanovic unfortunately does not get all the attention his performances deserve.

Against Barcelona, all of his abilities came to the fore, as he was at his goalkeeping best which helped keep Barcelona at bay at the point of the match where they were totally dominating the match.

Barcelona had 10 shots on target, and they scored from just one of those, as Handanovic made a total of nine saves in a match which Inter would have blown away but for his brilliance, and it is time to start giving the Serbian goalie the accolades he deserves.

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#1 Malcom

Malcom scored the opener for Barcelona

Malcom arrived in Barcelona in very acrimonious circumstances, after they hijacked him from Roma, going behind the Italians’ back to negotiate with Bordeaux when Roma had been ready to welcome him to Italy.

Since then, the 21-year-old has struggled for game time, mostly consigned to the bench for Barcelona’s matches, which is understandable, considering the sheer amount of attacking talent present at the club.

Prior to the Inter match, the Brazilian had yet to make an appearance in the Champions League for Barcelona, appearing for a total of less than 30 minutes in La Liga, with his only start for the club coming in a dead rubber Copa clash with Cultural Leonesa.

The player who competes with Malcom for a spot off the bench for Barcelona is Ousmane Dembele, and up till now, the Frenchman has been the first choice for substitutes by Valverde, but Dembele toiled in vain for 81 minutes before giving way to Malcom on the 81st minute.

It was his first appearance in the competition for Barca, and he needed no second invitation to grab his chances, as just two minutes later, he found the back of the net for his first goal in Barcelona’s colours, slotting a calm left-footed finish past the otherwise unbeatable Handanovic to seal Barcelona’s qualification to the next round.

Malcom’s spot in Barcelona had been in jeopardy owing to his lack of first team opportunities, but with his statement display against Inter, Malcom might have created an opportunity for himself to truly kick his Barcelona career into full gear.