FC Barcelona will take on Lega Serie A classic outfit Inter Milan in UEFA Champions League Group B. Catalans and Italians have clashed in ten previous occasions with a slight winning balance for Barça (4W, 3D, 3L, 17 goals scored and 8 goals conceded).
2010-11 Champions League Semi-finals was the last time both sides met in a thrilling confrontation which ended with José Mourinho's Inter advancing to the Bernabéu's Final after the victory of the Nerazzurri at the Giuseppe Meazza (3-1) and a useless Pique winner for Barça in the second leg at Camp Nou (1-0).
The other four meetings between Culers and Lombards correspond to the Quarter-finals of the 1959-60 UEFA Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in which Barça knocked out Inter (4-0 at Camp Nou and 2-4 at the Giuseppe Meazza), UEFA Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1968-70 Round of 16 where Internazionale got revenge (1-2 at Camp Nou and 1-1 at the Meazza), 2002-03 UEFA Champions League Group Stage which gave a victory and a draw to the Blaugranes (3-0 in Barcelona and 0-0 in Milan) and 2009-10 UEFA Champions League Group Stage in which Barcelona got a draw from the Meazza (0-0) and a convincing victory at l'Estadi with screamers from Pedro and Piqué in a night Guardiola's squad reflected over the pitch a clear superiority over Mourinho's outfit (2-0).
Given the historical head to head between both clubs we get the Marca's article written by Xavi Hernández to analyse Valverde's side competitors at the group of death, joined by Tottenham and PSV as well.
" The best:Inter returns to the competition that they won in 2010 at the hands of Mourinho. Spalletti trains a team with great players in all areas.
"The worst: Spalletti's plan, which is inconsistent. The last great achievement of the Italian coach was 10 years ago, when he eliminated Madrid with Roma. He will have to improve.
"The star: With permission from Ivan Perisic and Radja Nainggolan, the role of star of the team falls to Mauro Icardi, an attacker who incomprehensibly was left out of the World Cup after scoring 29 goals in the Scudetto."
Now everything is ready to enjoy the best club competition in the world with the action of the tournament's strongest group which kicks off with the clash between these two legendary European powerhouses!