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It goes without saying Barcelona are one of, if not the best club side in the world and any team that goes there to face them is going to have to bring their A game.
However they currently sit in fourth place in La Liga and after high key signings in the summer such as Frenkie De Jong and Antione Griezmann they would expect to be sitting pretty at the top of the table.
An opening day loss to Athletic Bilbao, a draw at Osasuna and another defeat away to Granada has seen a rather disappointing start to the league campaign for the Catalonian giants.
Barca also dropped points in their opening Champions League fixture drawing 0-0 with Borrusia Dortmund but of course we know that despite all of this, this is Barcelona and it is never an easy fixture.
SHOULD INTER BE SCARED
Absolutely not. Of course were dealing with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique (the list could go on) but Inter should not be fearful going into this fixture.
Despite the disappointment surrounding the Slavia Prague game, Inter look an extremely solid outfit this season, six wins from six in Serie A and fantastic defensive displays.
Under the guidance of Antonio Conte it feels like a new Inter compared to previous seasons, both on and off the pitch. There seems to be a feel of confidence around the club a sense of being able to conquer anything and anyone, and there is no better way to test that than Barca away!
GROUP OF DEATH
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When group F was drawn, there was a certain sense of ‘could this get much worse’ around it, however this is exactly what the Champions League is all about, testing yourself against the best of the best.
However, for the three giants in the group, Slavia Prague was considered a must get 6 points fixture but of course that one is already out of the window for Inter after that 1-1 draw in San Siro.
The group is far from decided with 5 more fixtures to play and after draw’s all round, the top two spots are still there for the taking.
HISTORY
Of course the two teams have met many times in this competition in the past and are no strangers to each other.
The two sides were drawn together in the group stage last season along with Tottenham and PSV. Inter will be hoping to improve on last year’s visit to the Camp Nou after they fell to a 2-0 defeat due to goals from Rafinha and Alba. Inter managed a better result at San Siro drawing 1-1 but ultimately it wasn't enough to see the Nerazzuri through to the group stage.
The big one between the two clubs came in 2010, in the semi final of the Champions League. The first leg at San Siro proved a 3-1 triumph for Jose Mourinho’s side but it was the second leg in Catalonia that provided the drama.
A Thiago Motta sending off due to some Sergio Busquets play acting and some classic Pep vs Jose rivalry provided a dramatic night in Barcelona but despite the home side winning 1-0 it was Inter who progressed to the final in Madrid and we all know how that ended up!
PROBABLE LINE UP - INTER
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The midfield has been rotated a few times this season with the likes of Matias Vecino and Roberto Gagliardini making appearances but I would imagine Conte will use our strongest midfield trio for this test in Barcelona.
Lukaku is ruled out with a minor injury and wont play on Wednesday which is a big loss for the attacking force. However a good full debut for Alexis Sanchez on Saturday (despite the red card) showed he may be able to lead the line perfectly well.
Lautaro has only scored the one goal this season in six appearances, that goal coming against Cagliari. The Argentine will be hoping to build on a decent first season in Milan and what better way to kick things off than a goal at Camp Nou in the Champions league.
PREDICTION
1-1. I see both teams being quite cagey on Wednesday night, only the second game of the group stage and both difficult teams to face. Inter’s defence this season has been a very hard one to break down, although I am sure Lionel Messi will be a great test for them.