Barcelona back in control as Inter taught a lesson

HOLDERS Barcelona moved two points clear at the top of their Champions League group last night after producing a classy display to defeat erstwhile leaders Inter Milan at the Nou Camp.

Barca could have found themselves out of the competition if results had gone against them, but Pep Guardiola’s side are now within touching distance of a place in the last 16 after brushing aside Inter thanks to early goals from Gerard Pique and Pedro Rodriguez.

The result leaves Barca on eight points after five games, two clear of Inter and Rubin Kazan and three above Dynamo Kiev – who played out a goalless draw with Rubin earlier. Barca travel to Kiev in their final match next month.

Between them, former Inter striker Ibrahimovic and Leo Messi, who is favourite to be named FIFA World Player of the Year, have scored 17 goals in all competitions for Barca this season, but Guardiola opted not to risk either from the start.

Not that it mattered. Within the opening 25 minutes the treble winners had raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to Pique and Pedro, and there was no way back for Inter after that.

Barca would have been desperate for a good start, and they got just that as, with only 10 minutes on the clock, Pique muscled aside the challenge of Lucio to volley home from close range after Thierry Henry had flicked on Xavi’s corner.

And not long after that Barca doubled their lead with a slick team goal.

A quick ball into Xavi near the edge of the box was immediately played on to the marauding Dani Alves down the right, and the Brazilian’s cross to the far post was volleyed home by Pedro, whose effort found the back of the net despite Julio Cesar getting a hand to the ball.

That put Barca in total control and they almost made it 3-0 just before the break when Seydou Keita powered in a header from another Xavi corner, but Julio Cesar was in the right place this time to save his side.

It was a first-half masterclass by Barca, who limited Inter to just one decent effort, which saw Diego Milito test Victor Valdes with a long-range effort.

Samuel Eto’o, the former Barca striker who had received a tremendous ovation on his return to the Nou Camp, felt he should have been awarded a penalty after being barged over by Alves, but that was a rare scare for the home side.

Only a brilliant one-handed save from Julio Cesar prevented Xavi from heading in Barca’s third in the 54th minute, before the Inter custodian performed similar heroics to push behind Alves low free-kick 13 minutes later.

Barca continued to dominate possession in the closing stages, and although they were unable to build on their lead, they ran out comfortable winners to not only get their Champions League campaign back on track, but also boost confidence ahead of this weekend’s ‘Clasico’ against bitter rivals Real Madrid.

BARCELONA: Valdes, Dani Alves, Puyol, Pique, Abidal (Maxwell 89), Busquets, Xavi, Keita, Pedrito (Bojan 85), Iniesta (Jonathan 90), Henry.

INTER MILAN: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu, Cambiasso (Muntari 46), Zanetti, Motta, Stankovic (Balotelli 71), Eto’o, Milito (Quaresma 82).

Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).