Analysis: Inter Milan

Inter set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Marcelo Brozovic, Matias Vecino and Radja Nainggolan operating as the midfield three. Mauro Icardi started as the lone forward, with Matteo Politano and Ivan Perisic supporting from wide areas.

Inter struggled to gain control of the game through possession. They were restricted to just 39 per cent over the whole game, meaning that many of their opportunities to attack would come through transition. When they did have the ball, they initially tried to play out from the back from goalkeeper Samir Handanovic – but Barcelona set up a very aggressive press, so the hosts ended up playing direct. They would typically then look to utilise the wide areas – and the right-hand side in particular, where the relationship between right-back Sime Vrsaljko, Vecino and Politano was important in creating opportunities to produce crosses.

Nainggolan didn’t provide the same level of attacking quality on the left as Vecino on the right; he was eventually replaced by Borja Valero, who demonstrated more dynamism and willingness to make attacking runs. Despite this, Inter still only managed to register one shot on target in the match – from which Icardi scored – and created very little in the way of quality chances, regularly running into trouble on their counter-attacks and lacking creative quality in their build-up.

Out of possession, Inter formed a 4-1-4-1/4-5-1 mid-block for the majority of the game, with Politano and Perisic joining Brozovic, Nainggolan and Vecino across the midfield line of five. They initially began by pressing Barcelona high and with aggression, but quickly moved to a mid-block after Barcelona managed to play through them on a couple of occasions.

Occasionally, there would be triggers for the mid-block to go into a high press, such as when the ball was played into a Barcelona full-back and the Inter wide midfielder was close enough to initiate a press. The issue here was that Barcelona would then play back to Gerard Pique or Clement Lenglet, where Icardi would need support from a teammate to continue the press. This would usually be Politano from the right, but that only freed up Jordi Alba at left-back. Later on, Inter would use Vecino instead of Politano to join Icardi in the press.

Mostly, Inter set out to protect the central areas and force Barcelona wide. Their midfield five were good at getting out and pressing the Barca midfielders, but they were poor at screening the ball into the Barcelona attackers, who would often drop in and receive between the lines. From here, Inter were vulnerable.