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| (L-R) Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale, Gavi of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League match between Internazionale v FC Barcelona at the San Siro on October 4, 2022 in Milan Italy. |
Hakan Calhanoglu fired Inter Milan to a 1-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday which ended the Italians’ recent troubles and boosted their hopes of making the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Inter headed into the Group C clash at the San Siro in dreadful form having lost five of the previous 10 matches in all competitions but Turkey midfielder Calhanoglu ended the crisis talk when he lashed in the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time.
Simone Inzaghi will also be smiling as his position as Inter coach was being discussed before his team won a match which moves them above Barca and into second place in the group.
Inter are now three points ahead of the Catalan giants and the same amount behind leaders Bayern, who smashed Viktoria Plzen 5-0 earlier on Tuesday.
“It was very important today for us, to show something to our fans who are always with us. We showed that we deserved it,” said Calhanoglu.
Inter had to survive a series of scares in the second half, with Ousmane Dembele hitting the post, Pedri having a goal ruled out for handball in the 68th minute following a VAR check as a tired Inter sank back into their own area late on.
But unlike in recent weeks Inzaghi’s well-drilled team weren’t punished for the few errors they made and even escaped a late penalty shout for handball which left Barca scratching their heads.
“Even they (the refs) don’t know the handball rules. They call us for a handball and then the same play later on, they don’t call it,” said a baffled Sergi Roberto.
“We’ve lost a chance here, but we have another game in a week at Camp Nou (next week). We knew that if we won here and then again at home we’d be through, it didn’t turn out like that but at Camp Nou, with our fans, we can do it.”
