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UCL: Barcelona vs. Inter Milan (Match Day Commentary)

 Inter Milan Logo

The UEFA Champions League semifinals conclude today with Barcelona taking on Inter Milan (2:45pm, Fox Soccer Channel) for the chance to face Bayern Munich in the final.

Inter Milan comes in off a 3-1 first-leg victory at the San Siro, but Barcelona has the firepower to erase that deficit. It won't come easy against a tough Inter defense, but it should be fun to watch them try.

I will be providing commentary throughout the match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):

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FINAL– That's all for me. Thanks for following along today. Share your thoughts on today's match in the comments section below.

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FINAL– INter Milan played more than a half a man down at Camp Nou against Barcelona's vaunted attack and held Barcelona to one goal. A thoroughly impressive performance by Jose Mourinho's men.

No, it wasn't pretty, but Inter did its job at home, and defended like champions on the road. That gets you into the Champions League final. Deserved finalists.

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FINAL– INTER WINS THE SEMIFINAL!!!! Barcelona wins today, 1-0, but wins the semifinal, 3-2 on aggregate.

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94th minute– Final minute. Barcelona keeps pressing.

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93rd minute– Replay looks like it was a bad handball call against Barcelona.

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91st minute– Four minutes of stoppage time. Will we have a repeat of last year's goal by Iniesta at Stamford Bridge?

WOW, a handball call on what looked like a Bojan goal.

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91st minute– Stoppage time, the drama is riveting.

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88th minute– SAVE CESAR, smothers a hard Messi shot.

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88th minute– SAVE CESAR, punches away a hard shot.

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87th minute– Xavi is starting to step it up, getting more involved.

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85th minute– Barcelona trail 3-2 on aggregate, but one more goal gives them the semifinal series on away goals. Can they do it? Can Inter hold on?

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84th minute- GOAL BARCELONA!!!! And it's Pique with a beautiful move and beautiful finish of a pass from Xavi. GAME ON!!!!

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83rd minute– What a miss there. Bojan came streaking in on the back post, Messi sends the perfect ball in, but Bojan heads it wide. That would have made things VERY interesting. Alas, its still scoreless, Inter still up two goals on aggregate.

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82nd minute– BOJAN WIDE!!!! Wow, what a missed header off a great cross from Messi.

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81st minute– Milito comes off, Ivan Cordoba comes on.

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78th minute– Barcelona with a chance, but the ball streaks across the goal-mouth, finding no takers.

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78th minute– Barcelona needs two goals to win this semifinal series. Doesn't look like they'll even get one at this rate.

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76th minute– Barca corner.

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75th minute– Inter is holding on, their defending in the final third has been impeccable.

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73rd minute– Barcelona is running out of time. Keita took a shot from distance that was well over.

How many people need to get hurt before Henry would get into this match? There's one sub left. Will he get in, or is he thinking about condos in Manhattan?

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70th minute– Lucio is down with a (fake) injury. Wasting time.

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69th minute– Still scoreless. Inter's defense is holding strong, Barcelona can't find the key to unlock it.

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68th minute– Barcelona with all the possession, but can't crack Inter's defense, which has been perfect in the 18-yard box.

This match might set a new record for possession by one team.

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66th minute– Eto'o showing off his left back skills.

Sulley Muntari comes in for Sneijder, who was clearly limited by a thigh injury. The parked bus gets tougher.

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66th minute– Punched away and now Barcelona has a corner. That too is headed clear.

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65th minute– Free kick from the left flank for Barcelona.

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64th minute– Mourinho gets a stern talking to by the ref for straying outside his technical area.

Anybody anxious to hear Mourinho's post-match comments about the ref?

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62nd minute– Messi tries racing into the area, but he can't quite break through.

Chivu is down injured, though it does look a bit like time-wasting.

Bojan is on for Ibrahimostink. Jeffren also comes on, for Busquets.

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61st minute– Looks like Bojan Krkic will be coming in, likely for Ibrahimovic.

You know Inter is defending when Eto'o is playing as a left back/defensive midfielder.

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59th minute– Barcelona with a nice build-up, but the final touch can't produce a shot.

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56th minute– The pressure is building as we remain scoreless on the day.

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55th minute– Barcelona corner.

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54th minute– Ibrahimovic takes a tumble in the area but not a penalty. He's struggling.

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52nd minute– Ibrahimovic tried a back-heel flick shot, didn't come off. He's been invisible today. He's got to be the first player off for Barcelona.

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50th minute– Inter isn't giving any ground. They've got a brick wall in front of goal.

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48th minute– No subs for either team.

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46th minute– We're back.

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HALFTIME– We're close to returning to action.

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HALFTIME– What moves might the teams make at halftime? Could Pep Guardiola go with Thierry Henry or Bojan Krkic? Will Mourinho insert Sulley Muntari? How about Mario 'The Maniac" Balotelli?

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HALFTIME– Barcelona 0, Inter Milan 0. Milan continues to lead the series by two goals and Barcelona has 45 more minutes to take advantage of being a man up. Inter doesn't look like it is ready to give up a goal though, even being a man down.

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47th minute– Toure's last two touches have been absolute shanks.

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46th minute– You know it's a bad shot when it winds up a throw-in for the other team. Toure took that awful shot.

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45th minute– Ibrahimovic powers it just wide of goal.

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43rd minute– Chivu fouls Messi, drawing a yellow card and giving up a free kick from 33 yards out.

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39th minute– Samuel with a CLUTCH block of an Ibrahimovic shot from 12 yards out.

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39th minute– The game is being played entirely in Barcelona's half now that Inter is a man down. How long can they keep Barcelona off the scoreboard?

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38th minute– If you are following along with the commentary here, please let me know in the comments section.

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35th minute– Julio Cesar gets a yellow card for time wasting. Inter is losing it a bit. They're definitely rattled. Can they hold on?

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33rd minute– SAVE JULIO CESAR!!!! Stops a great Messi shot.

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32nd minute– The crowd at the Camp Nou is LOUD and definitely influencing the referee.

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30th minute– Inter down to ten men and things are about to get very interesting. Barcelona should find more space.

Did I mention what a bad call that was? Motta lost his mind a bit afterwards, but I suppose you can't blame him.

Motta simply put an arm up and his outstretched hand caught Busquets in the neck and face and he went down like he got punched by Manny Pacquiao.

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28th minute– Wow, a red card for Thiago Motta. No way that's a red card. A yellow at best for a hand in the face of Busquets.

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25th Minute– Corner is cleared.

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25th Minute– Inter with a corner kick.

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22nd Minute– Inter is playing with fire sitting back like this. Barcelona is starting to calibrate its attack and its passes are getting more dangerous.

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19th Minute– Still 0-0. Inter staying compact, Barcelona knocking it around but not creating much in terms of dangerous chances.

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16th Minute– The Lucio-Ibrahimovic will be a fun one to watch.

Sneijder has been quiet early on as Inter sits backs and looks for counters.

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14th Minute– Inter is content to sit back early while Barca knocks it around.

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12th Minute– Maicon has hurt his shoulder after a challenge from Messi. He's still holding it. Could he be forced out this early?

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11th Minute– Foul called on Barcelona, but Ibrahimovic is the one with his jersey ripped from the collar.

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10th Minute– Alves earns a free kick after a foul by Motta. About 30 yards out.

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9th Minute– Barcelona is knocking it around in midfield, but nothing dangerous yet.

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7th Minute– Mourinho isn't holding back, fielding an attack-minded lineup as he searches for the precious away goal.

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6th Minute– Ibrahimovic needs to have a game tonight. He's struggled quite a bit but he can silence the critics with a big match today.

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4th Minute– Here is Barcelona's lineup:

——–Messi—Ibrahimovic—-Pedro-

————-Xavi———-Keita———

——————Busquets—————-

Milito——-Toure——Pique——-Alves

—————–Victor Valdes—————

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3rd Minute– Here is Inter Milan's lineup:

——————–Milito———————

—Chivu——–Sneijder————–Eto'o–

————-Motta——–Cambiasso———-

Zanetti—-Samuel—–Lucio———Maicon

——————Julio Cesar—————–

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1st Minute– Barcelona with an early free kick opportunity.

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1st Minute– We're off.

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PRE-GAME– We're ready for kick off. Good afternoon folks. Should be a fun match.

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Comments

  1. There’s a difference between bunkering and neutralizing another team’s strengths.

    If you and I are boxing and I know you have a killer right hook you better know I’m going keep you from using it any way I can. That doesn’t make me a bad fighter, on the contrary, it makes me a great fighter because I know that the first step is to NOT LOSE, then I can figure out a way to win.

    Reply
  2. Full credit to Inter, but let’s be honest: the difference in this tie was a blown call by the ref at San Siro. It should have ended 2-2 and went to overtime and penalties.

    Regardless, Barca had a bevy of chances to even things up, just wans’t in teh cards.

    Well, I think this cup is not Inter’s to lose.

    Reply
  3. I would be kind of pissed off at my team if they just bunkered. Honestly when the u.s. bunkers it is so frustrating. I am always a little excited when we get the win, but at the same time It really irritates me. It is honestly like saying: “we aren’t good enough to play actual soccer against this team so we will go into the game and not lose.” I hate the losing mentality and would rather a team play to win and lose like players who enjoy the game and play for the love of the game not for results. I just can’t comprehend how any player could possibly enjoy bunkering for 90 minutes. As a player I would rather lose trying to score than cram my own box and lose.

    Reply
  4. reverb,
    ” I’ll further say that Inter played football in Barcelona’s half more than a few times…”

    The game and the stats don’t support the above statement.

    My guess is that Inter set records for fewest shots, least possession, and fewest minutes in opponents end.

    Reply
  5. Barca Inter

    Shots (on Goal) 20(4) 1(0)
    Fouls 20 15
    Corner Kicks 9 2
    Offsides 4 5
    Time of Possession 86% 14%
    Yellow Cards 1 5
    Red Cards 0 1
    Saves 0 3

    Has there ever been a finalist who did less in attack? I don’t remember the one Inter shot. This must be a record.

    Reply
  6. First I hate Inter and Bayern so the finals means nothing to me. That being said Inter won and Jose deserves credit for inspiring his side to victory. Their defensive effort was tremendous against both Barca and Chelsea. It is interesting to me that when I think of Brazil this World Cup that it is their defense that is the most impressive aspect of the team (Maicon, Alves, Lucio, Alex and Cesar)

    Reply
  7. JA, take comfort in knowing these are my final words on this:
    Inter is a fine football club and fully capable of playing very, very well. I’ll further say that Inter played football in Barcelona’s half more than a few times and when they did it sure made the game worthy of both combatants.

    Reply
  8. Well clearly you do or you wouldn’t be replying to my comments. Of course Inter doesn’t care, they’ll take any result that goes their way as would any team. I’m pretty sure you didn’t need to point that out, but thanks anyways.

    Reply
  9. Well, yes, if you don’t care who wins it’s nice for a game to be exciting.

    But, if your team was on the verge of qualifying for the Champion’s League Final and all they had to do was protect a two goal lead, wouldn’t you be pissed off if they played attractive, attacking soccer rather than playing conservatively to protect their lead? I know I would be.

    Save the exciting soccer for friendlies, thank you. If I saw nothing but huge leads and solid defense from my team in games that matter I would be delighted.

    Reply

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