Inter Milan target Barcelona scalp

The City of San Siro will literally be on standstill as Inter Milan host Barcelona in today’s (Tuesday) UEFA Champions League clash.

Inter Milan will be hoping to avoid defeat against a Barcelona side that will welcome their inspirational skipper, Lionel Messi, in order to stand a chance of qualifying to the knockout stages of the competition.

Inter suffered a 2-0 defeat when they travelled to Barcelona on October 24, but are still in a strong position when it comes to making the knockout round of the competition. Indeed, the Italian giants sit second in the section on six points having overcome Tottenham and PSV in their first two Group B matches.

Barcelona have beaten PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter in their three group matches this term, and sit three points clear of second-placed Inter ahead of Tuesday’s fascinating clash in Milan.

Tuesday will be the eighth meeting between these two teams in European competition. Barcelona have won four of the previous seven, suffering just one defeat in the process. The two teams have met on three occasions at San Siro, and two of those matches have finished level, with Barcelona yet to triumph.

Inter’s sole success was a 3-1 win at San Siro in the first leg of their semi-final during the 2009-10 campaign, and they also locked horns in the group stages of that particular season.