"I am proud of the students' performance. Inter have faced one of the best teams in the world."
This was shared by Simone Inzaghi after the 3-3 draw between the two teams in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final. Six goals, more than 90 minutes had too many highlights and it can be said that this was the best match since the beginning of the Champions League campaign this season.
If Inter still maintained their thorny appearance, Barcelona showed many extremes in the confrontation at Lluis Companys. They lost very quickly, according to an unimaginable scenario. However, they are also the author of the work containing countless emotions, opening an unpredictable script in Italy next week.
The performance against Inter has reshaped Barcelona's image from the beginning of the season until now. They are not perfect at many times but are also the team with the most attacking power in the world. Since Hansi Flick took over, Barca has played better than under Xavi but has also repeatedly destroyed themselves due to excessive sublimation.
Flick built a high defensive line for Barca to be able to counter-attack continuously. With a superb ball-holding midfield, this is the way Blaugrana are coming to the tricky draw this season. However, it always has countless potential dangers. Once the opponent has passed the midfield, there are no more barriers ahead for them. In the final minutes of the match against Inter, the away team almost defeated Barca many times with simple counter-attacks.
Un beloved numbers. Against Inter, Barca had 19 shots. They scored 3 goals and had 2 shots on the crossbar. Meanwhile, Inter have had 7 shots, 3 of which have become goals. Erik Mkhitaryan's goal was a break for Barca as Inter's midfielder was later determined to be offside with the club behind the last player in the home team's defensive system.
Barca fell 2 goals behind but still recovered in the first half, which is the contribution Flick is building for the team. However, it is also the price he has to pay. Flick clearly understood that Barca's squad had a superb attack, he accepted the trade-off because he always believed that Lamine Yamal would have excellent situations such as narrowing the gap to 1-2.
Flick is also taking a risk against Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder is like a true conductor, able to dominate the entire midfield. However, he had to try his best many times to support the defense. Such a high intensity could leave De Jong exhausted at any time in the late one-on-one disputes. When the opponent overcomes De Jong, there will be only a defense with not too many troops.
"We're not going to change the way we play. The whole team will double the intensity, along with confidence. Barca will continue to play and continue to be as aggressive as you see" - a member of Barcelona's logistics team told The Athletic.
" Barcelona's strategy is full of risks but it will be rewarded. The players have scored 150 goals since the beginning of the season, won 2 titles and made efforts to take the other 2" - Hansi Flick is confident.
After two very weak matches against Celta Vigo and Real Madrid, Barca have conceded 11 goals in their last 5 matches in all competitions. Some players are starting to feel tired and injuries are starting to come. Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde were absent from the first leg, replaced by Ferran Torres and Gerard Martin.
Jules Kounde may be absent in the return match due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the match against Inter. Meanwhile, Pedri has played so much this season that he could not complete the full 90 minutes in the match early this morning.
"It's not easy when you have to play at the intensity of 3 days/match. All preparation and exercise plans may no longer be as desired. This is the reality we are facing. Jules Kounde's injury is also related to this frequency of play" - Flick shared.
Although the reality of intensity and injuries is appearing before the eyes, Barca players, typically De Jong and Yamal, are still confident in the way the team is performing. They are trying until the last minutes to win the Champions League and La Liga, thereby ending the season with a grand treble.
