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Barcelona Can Hurt Inter Without Messi, Warns Valverde by Eazyclick14(m): 1:29pm On Dec 10, 2019 |
Barcelona’s Spanish coach Ernesto Valverde
speaks during a press conference on
December 9, 2019 at the San Siro stadium in
Milan, on the eve of the UEFA Champions
League Group F football match Inter Milan vs
Barcelona. (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP)
Lionel Messi’s absence for already-qualified
Barcelona will not make them less able to
stop Inter Milan gaining their spot in the
Champions League last 16, coach Ernesto
Valverde insisted Monday.
Barcelona are already through to the knockout
stages as Group F winners after Messi scored
and set up two more in a convincing 3-1 win
over Borussia Dortmund last time out, a
victory which means Inter will ensure
themselves a spot in the next round with a
win over the La Liga leaders at the San Siro
on Tuesday.
Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi broke yet
another record by hitting his 35th La Liga hat-
trick on Saturday as Barca maintained top
spot in Spain with a 5-2 win over Mallorca.
“Messi needs to rest,” Valverde told reporters.
“We’re coming off many consecutive games
and we have other important ones to play, so
I left him at home.
“He’s a decisive player, but our goal
tomorrow does not change, we want to win
against Inter.
“We know what he represents for the
opponents, but last year he didn’t play in both
games against Inter, and we still had a high
level.
“We are already qualified but it remains a
game of great value.”
Messi and midfielder Sergi Roberto have been
left out of Barca’s 20-man squad along with
the injured Ousmane Dembele, Jordi Alba,
Nelson Semedo and Gerard Pique.
The Argentine’s absence means that they will
be relying on Antoine Griezmann and Luis
Suarez to supply the goals, while teenage
prodigy Ansu Fati could be fit to play.
Inter are four points behind Barca in second,
level on seven points with Borussia
Dortmund. The Italians need to match or
better Dortmund’s result at home to Slavia
Prague to qualify as their superior head-to-
head record will see them through should the
two clubs finish on the same number of
points.
‘Heads held high’
“They have great players like (Romelu) Lukaku
and Lautaro (Martinez) who score a lot,”
Valverde said of Inter’s strike duo, who have
scored 24 of the team’s 40 goals this
season.
“Lautaro is a great player, fast and powerful,
he’s having a great season.”
Inter coach Antonio Conte also has injury
worries with Stefano Sensi, Nicolo Barella,
Alexis Sanchez and Roberto Gagliardini all
out.
“Barcelona is calm in the first place and will
play without pressure and can create
problems,” said 50-year-old Conte.
“We have to give everything knowing that it
might not be enough.”
Barcelona beat Inter 2-1 at Camp Nou last
time out, but Conte believes his Serie A
leaders have grown since then.
“We played very well at Barcelona, with great
courage and personality, but the defeat came
thanks to their great players,” he said.
“It’s been a while, we’ve grown in some
respects. But we would be fools to think we
won’t suffer when Barca are in possession.”
The former Chelsea and Juventus coach
hopes the home crowd of 72,000 can pull the
three-time European champions through with
their “heads held high”.
“Our stadium can give us a lot of positive
energy and I’m sure it will,” added the Italian.
“We all want to get to the last 16, it would be
a prestigious achievement.” |
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