The two leading sides in Champions League Group B face off on Tuesday, with Barcelona aware that a victory over Inter will carry them through to the last 16, regardless of the outcome of the match between Tottenham and PSV.
Barca have a perfect three wins from three to their name, while Inter’s six points put them in a commanding position to qualify ahead of the fourth round of fixtures.
After a competitive match at Camp Nou a fortnight ago, in which goals from Rafinha and Jordi Alba guided the Spanish side to victory, Inter will be hopeful of at least sharing the spoils at home to keep their rivals at an arm’s length.
Game | Inter vs Barcelona |
Date | Tuesday, November 6 |
Time | 8pm BST / 3pm EST |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
US TV channel | Online stream |
---|---|
Univision Deportes | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on BT Sport ESPN and livestreamed on BT Sport Live.
UK TV channel | Online stream |
---|---|
BT Sport ESPN | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
Position | Inter squad |
---|---|
Goalkeepers | Handanovic, Padelli, Berni |
Defenders | Vrsaljko, De Vrij, Ranocchia, Miranda, Skriniar, D'Ambrosio |
Midfielders | Asamoah, Vecino, B. Valero, Perisic, Brozovic, Candreva, Nainggolan |
Forwards | Icardi, L. Martinez, Balde, Politano |
Inter starting X (4-2-3-1)I: Handanovic; Vrsaljko, Skriniar, De Vrij, Asamoah; Vecino, Brozovic; Politano, Nainggolan, Perisic; Icardi
Position | Barcelona squad |
---|---|
Goalkeepers | Ter Stegen, Cillessen |
Defenders | Pique, Semedo, Lenglet, Alba, Chumi |
Midfielders | Rakitic, Busquets, Coutinho, Arthur, Rafinha, Roberto, Vidal |
Forwards | L. Suarez, Dembele, Malcom, Munir, Messi |
Barcelona starting XI (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Lenglet, Pique, Jordi Alba; Arthur, Busquets, Rakitic; Dembele, Suarez, Coutinho
Betting & Match Odds
Barcelona are priced at odds of winning 23/20 according to bet 365 , while a draw is available at 5/2. Inter are priced at 27/10.
Match Preview
Much of the build-up around this encounter has circled around Lionel Messi. After fracturing his arm in a recent Liga clash against Sevilla, he could have made his return to feature at San Siro.
“He could be available, but we have to wait, let's see how he feels about his safety,” head coach Valverde said on the eve of the game. “I can't anticipate anything but what is clear is that we aren't going to take any chances with Messi.”
And neither he should. Barcelona stand well placed to progress in Europe, after a perfect start to the season that has already seen them defeat group rivals Tottenham, PSV and Inter.
On the domestic front, too, things look rosy, although they came within a whisker of suffering a stunning defeat against struggling Real Vallecano at the weekend. Goals in the final three minutes from Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez transformed a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory, though it came as a timely warning that they can take little for granted.
Inter, too, have shown themselves a side worthy of respect. While Barcelona struggled on Saturday, Spalletti’s side were cruising to a 5-0 win over Genoa, having previously chalked up impressive victories against Lazio and AC Milan to help lift them to second in Serie A.
The coach may have hailed Messi as the world’s best, but Inter are more concerned with a diminutive Argentine of their own, Mauro Icardi, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
“Icardi is our captain and our reference point,” Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti told Marca, rejecting the possibility of a transfer.
“He’s also very happy at Inter. We’re not aware of any interest from Real Madrid. We’re aware that Inter are in good shape and don’t have to sell to continue to respect Financial Fair Play (FFP).”
While things are going well for the Nerazzurri on the field, they are also coming together off it, too, with those FFP restrictions set to be lifted in the coming weeks.
A positive result against Barca would cap a stunning spell for the Italians.