Barca blitz Inter to maintain inspired Euro form
Inter had a terrible night which was capped late in the game when their Colombian international Alvero Recoba was sent off for appearing to kick Barca defender Puyol in the face.
But for the Barcelona fans and new manager Radomir Antic, this was a huge performance. In fact, this was the team’s 11th consecutive Champions’ League success - a record in the competition - and it puts them on top of Group A with eight points.
Barcelona appeared determined not When Javier Saviola scored on seven minutes, the writing was on the wall for Inter. The 21-year-old Argentinean rifled his side into the lead after he latched onto a through ball from Xavi and, after taking it wide of Cannavaro and Gamarra, he unleashed a fierce shot which beat Toldo .
Barcelona doubled their lead on 29 minutes and it was one of the club’s army of Dutchmen who got the goal, after being set up by another.
Philippe Cocu scored the goal when he followed-up a stinging Patrick Kluivert shot from a corner which Toldo could only parry.
Inter then enjoyed a period of pressure but at half-time Barcelona were still 2-0 to the good.
After the break Barcelona came looking for the goal that would seal the game for them and Overmars, Kluivert and Xavi all threatened the Inter goal. Cocu then went close with a header from a Xavi cross, but hit the post.
Inter tried hard to get back into the game and Vieri had a few chances, but on 60 minutes Recoba had the Italian side’s best chance of pegging back a goal when he broke clear only to lash a shot wide under heavy pressure from Frank de Boer, making his 119th Champions’ League appearance.
Seven minutes later Kliuvert sealed it for Barca. After a wonderful jinking run from Saviola tore the Inter defence in their own area, the Argentinean squared the ball and Kliuvert slid in to thump the ball into the net off the post.
The Inter heads were dropping and although Vieri once again went close, their hopes were finally dashed when Recoba was sent off.
Himself and Puyol slid in for a loose ball and the Colombian international appeared to kick Puyol in the face. The red card was proffered immediately.
Barcelona now travel to Milan next week for the return fixture brimming with confidence after a convincing performance.
In the other game last night Roma and Valencia looked to be fighting out a dour draw before the Spanish team’s Norwegian international John Carew got the vital goal to give his team their first ever victory on Italian soil in the Champions’ League.
The fans in the Stadio Olimpico immediately began to leave the ground after the shock 78th minute strike, knowing that Roma’s interest in this season’s competition was effectively over.
Having fallen to ninth in Serie A after a srting of unconvincing performances, Roma really needed to win here if they were to realistically harbour any hopes of going forward, but Valencia put an end to that with a dogged performance.
Roma came out with all guns blazing and forced the early pressure, leaving Valencia to try and do something on the break, but such was Zebina’s control over Aimar, that even that eventuality looked unlikely.
In fact, Aimar had to drop back into midfield before the break in order to try and secure more possession.
But if Valencia looked unlikely to score, neither did the home side and at half-time Cassano was brought on in place of Montella in an attempt to breach the Spaniard’s defence.
His initial threat was very real and his fresh legs gave Roma and extra dimension in attack, but nevertheless he still could not transform that into goals and Roma were struggling.
Cafu did have a stinging shot saved by Canizares on 67 minutes as the game swung back and forth, but it was in the 78th minute that Carew shocked the local fans - not to mention Roma goalie Pelizzoli.
Carew sent in what appeared to be a casual cross from the left, but it caught the Roma ’keeper unawares and snuck in at Pelizzoli’s near post, much to the goalie’s dismay.
It was a goal completely out of the blue, but the result is that Valencia are now just a point behind Arsenal and Ajax in Group B of the competition.
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