Inter leapfrogged Barca from Group C’s second spot after an impressive defensive display at San Siro.
Inter defeated Barcelona 1-0 in their Champions League match on Tuesday. The Italian giants snatched their first win in three matches to ease some pressure off Simone Inzaghi.
Calhanoglu with a banger!
Barcelona started off as the better side, but Inter managed to successfully repel their efforts for an early breakthrough.
The hosts found their feet in the game as time went by, claiming more and more possession.
Following a short pass from Federico Dimarco, Hakan Calhanoglu rifled a precise low ball into the bottom of the net from close range to make it 1-0 for Inter just before half-time.
Barcelona started their attacks to get the equalizer as soon as the next half started.
However, Inter’s strategy of covering ground inside their own half paid off as their opponents struggled to make serious chances.
Barcelona left the game with only two shots on target while Inter managed to claim the crucial three points.
The victory puts Inter behind Bayern as the Group C leaders. The Nerazzurri must travel to Barcelona to face Xavi’s side at Camp Nou next week. But before that, a Serie A game against Sassuolo awaits Inzaghi’s men.
Player Ratings
Inter: Onana (7); Darmian (7), Skriniar (8), De Vrij (7), Bastoni (7), Dimarco (6); Barella (6), Calhanoglu (7), Mkhitaryan (6); Correa (6), Martínez (6).
Bench: Acerbi (7), Gosens (6), Assllani (7), Dumfries (6), Dzeko (6).
Barcelona: Ter Stegen (5), Roberto (7), Garcia (7), Christensen (7), Alonso (6), Busquets (6), Gavi (6), Pedri (7), Raphinha (6), Dembele (7), Lewandowski (5).
Bench: Balde (6), Pique (6), Kessie (7), Fati (5).
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