I expect Inter to absorb Barca's attacking; trying to pressure Barca high up the field in order to prevent them from advancing is merely delaying the inevitable. They are all too good on the ball, and have the patience to play the ball back to Valdes and start all over again if they feel it is necessary. I think Mourinho's intention will be to cut the supply lines as soon as the Catalans advance, preventing the always-safe back pass. Mourinho will likely employ either a 4-2-1-3 with Eto'o up top, flanked by Milito and Pandev and supported by Sneijder, or a 4-3-1-2 which demotes Pandev to the bench. I would bet more on the latter. Much like against Chelsea, Inter's forwards will press high and work hard to harass Barca's back line and disrupt the side-to-side passing that they enjoy so much in possession.
A huge battle will be between the conductor of the Spanish symphony, Xavi, and the evergreen enforcer Cambiasso. I would seek to man-mark Xavi with a combination of Cambiasso and Sneijder in order to cut out the most used pivot of Barca's ever rotating offense. Limiting the influence Xavi has on the game is like capturing an army's general. Doing so will force Barcelona to play entirely differently and would limit the ammo Xavi can provide for Messi, Sergio, and Ibrahimovic.
On offense, Barca will play on the ground and quickly. Inter's size advantage makes aerial battles for long balls one-sided; even Zlatan's huge frame will be under wraps by centerbacks Lucio (the scariest man in football) and Samuel. Barcelona will, of course, play a possession based game as always, being patient and trying to unlock Inter's defense.
Here are a few keys to the game:
Did Messi eat his Wheaties? As always this year, the world's best player is at the center of attention. If Messi is in another unstoppable mood, then tough shit for Inter. He is in terrible form as of late, having not scored in two games now!! As Mourinho stated in his interview, Messi will not be man-marked. Trying to do so is as foolish as trying to catch a butterfly with two spoons.
Opposite corners-the battle of the right backs. While Maicon (inter) and Dani Alves (Barca) are well known as tough defenders, their offensive contributions are certainly nothing to scoff at. Both go on Cafu-esque marauding runs down the right side, wrecking havoc on unlucky left midfielders. Both teams will push high on the left side in an effort to pin down these wing backs, but both contain the speed and endurance to honor both defensive and offensive tasks all game long.
The central midfield. Will Xavi find himself with a new shadow all game (Sneijder or Cambiasso)? Or will he be allowed to roam free, receiving and distributing killer passes like he is playing against the Barca youth team.
Dealing with Inter's counter attack. When Inter wins the ball back in their own defensive third, they will look to get the ball to Sneijder who can then dump perfectly weighted balls to Eto'o and Milito (and possibly Pandev). Mourinho is not going to beat Barca at their own game and has no problem playing much of the game on the wrong side of the ball. However, if they can catch Alves or Maxwell creeping too far up field, a quick counter could expose Barcelona's rear guard. Pique and Puyol are both intelligent and fast enough to deal with such attacks, but as it is in football, you never know what will happen.
In my opinion, whoever advances over the two legs will win the Champions League. Inter is the only team capable of beating Barca, and that can be attributed in a large part to the genius of Jose Mourinho. I hope for a good game, but I am worried about Inter deploying "anti-football" tactics to derail Barcelona's football train. Otherwise, we should experience a thrilling tie.
My prediction: 2-1 Inter, with plenty of chances being created at both ends.
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