Mixed fortunes away at Internazionale
It is make or break time for FC Barcelona as they face Internazionale in the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan on Wednesday, kick off 9pm CEST, for a place in the final of this season's Champions League. After a 3-3 draw in the first leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, the blaugranes need a win to make it through, a challenge that will not be easy as history can confirm.
The blaugranes have been able to beat Inter Milan in their own back year on two of their eight visits in European competition, drawing four games and losing twice.
Painful defeat two years ago
The last visit to the Giuseppe Meazza stadium to face Inter came back in October 2022. Xavi Hernández's team went to a 1-0 defeat thanks to a first half goal from midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu in the group stage of the Champions League.
Most recent win
Barça's last win away from home against Inter came with Ernesto Valverde as coach. In December 2019, in the final round of matches in the group stage of the Champions League a Barça side already through to the last 16 took a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Carles Pérez and Ansu Fati.
The two sides had met also the previous season, 2018/19, in the group stages when in November a goal from Malcom put Barça ahead in Milan before Icardi's strike secured a 1-1 draw for the Italians.
Semi final against Jose Mourinho
Going further back we come to another semi-final. In 2010 Pep Guardiola's Barça came up against an Inter side coached by none other than Jose Mourinho. A volcanic eruption in Iceland forced the blaugranes to travel to Italy by coach, disrupting their preparation and despite Pedro's opener, the Milan side struck back with goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito. Despite Barça's 1-0 win in the second leg at Spotify Camp Nou, the Serie A side progressed to the final on aggregate.
Three draws in a row
In 2009/10 the team had already faced each other in Milan, drawing 0-0 in the group stages. In 2003, in the second group stage, Barça and Inter played another goalless draw in the Champions League. In 1970 the teams played out a 1-1 draw in the last 16 of the old Fairs Cup.
Objective: a repeat result of the first meeting
The first meeting between FC Barcelona and Inter in the Giuseppe Meazza came on 30 September 1959 in the second leg of the Fairs Cup quarter finals. Barça took a 4-2 win with Kubala and Eulogio Martínez both scoring braces. A repeat performance on Tuesday would see Hansi Flick's team through to the final in Munich on 31 May.