The roar rocked this place and spoke of relief as well as joy. With six minutes remaining on what had been a difficult night, Luis Suárez scored his second goal to take a Barcelona team that had been overrun at times from a goal down to beat Internazionale 2-1.
Antonio Conte’s side knocked Juventus off the top of the table in Italy after 552 days and looked set to defeat Barcelona at the Camp Nou for the first time in six years of European football, stretching back 39 games, but in the end a superb first half was not enough. Instead, they have a solitary point, progressing from the group already looks a difficult task. It was Barcelona who emerged victorious.
That had not looked likely when Lautaro Martínez gave Inter the lead before the stadium clock had even reached two minutes. He was sent dashing away and beyond Clément Lenglet to score via a rebound after three Barcelona players – Frenkie de Jong, Gerard Piqué and Sergio Busquets – were all drawn towards the ball in the centre circle, a portrait of a recurring problem this season. The string of wild slide tackles that followed deepened the sense that Barcelona were grasping for some control beyond their reach.
Desperation showed, Barcelona trailing for the fifth time in nine games and aware that turning this around would be even harder than before, but somehow they proved able. First, they had to survive.
“We’re not going there with helmets on just to defend,” Conte had said and he was true to his word. Barcelona had a lot of the ball but little control; Inter had less of it but used it with precision and clarity. As if to underline their superiority, Inter often did so from deep, goalkeeper Samir Handanovic another player in the passing circle as they out Barcelona-ed Barcelona.
One five-pass, one-touch move inside their own area saw them break free late in the first half. Six passes and 70 metres later, Stefano Sensi was on the edge of the box shooting just over. Still it was only 1-0, but no one really knew how and Barcelona would be grateful for that. Milan Skriniar had already had a goal ruled out for offside, Nélson Semedo had dived to block Nicolò Barella and Marc-André ter Stegen had made a superb save from Martínez’s header. Next, Alexis Sánchez headed Sensi’s clipped cross wide and, as Barcelona were again pulled out, Semedo had to dash back to get to Martínez just before half-time.
Barcelona were alive but needed something to happen and then Suárez happened, thumping in a volley from Arturo Vidal’s pass 13 minutes into the second half. This was different now, Barcelona pushing Inter back, the ball circulated swiftly at last. Vidal and Lionel Messi worked it to Antoine Griezmann, who smashed a shot into the side netting. He was replaced by Ousmane Dembélé, who immediately struck over. And that, it seemed, was that. But then with six minutes to go, Messi left three players behind and worked the ball to Suárez who, dipping his shoulder and stepping into the area, ended this.
