Both Xavi and Inzaghi have a lot of respect for each other ahead of the crucial game. What did they say at the press conference?

Inter Milan and Barcelona are likely to face a crucial double-header to see who will advance to the spring play-offs with Bayern Munich, after both teams lost their first match. Both Xavi and Simone Inzaghi have a lot of respect for their opponents, as they confirmed in their pre-match interviews.

The Spaniards and Italians both lost 2-0 to the Bavarian team, but then both managed to score fully against Viktoria Plzen. If Bayern now beat the only Czech representative in the Champions League in both duels, this duel will decide who will advance to the spring play-offs with the Germans.

“After both teams lost to Bayern, they need to get three points. It will be a very important match, but not the decisive one,” Xavi told a pre-match press conference.

Barcelona, however, are otherwise doing great, going from win to win apart from the opening league game against Vallecano and the aforementioned loss to Bayern. And it will be a big favourite now too.

“We’ll have to show more character and take more risks, as this is a really important game, just like the next one at Camp Nou. This is the Champions League and we are very aware that we don’t have much room to correct our mistakes,” the Spanish coach concluded the interview.

Inter are certainly not in such a good position, having lost to both Udinese and AS Roma in their last two games. In these two games, they conceded 5 goals, which is not good news before the duel with the hotly contested Robert Lewandowski.

“We will face one of the best teams in Europe. But it’s a great opportunity for us, we are Inter and the promotion place to the spring play-offs is open. But we have to play aggressively and with great determination,” Inzaghi is clear.

That being said, experts expect Barcelona to succeed, having lost only one of their last 11 games against Inter. But all will be revealed on the pitch.

Source: UEFA