Milan (AFP)

Inaccurate and ineffective, Inter Milan failed to take the measure of Barcelona, ​​yet very reworked and already qualified, and lost 2-1 Tuesday in San Siro, which marks the end of his season in the League Champions.

"When Leo is not there, we still play with 11 players," said Ernesto Valverde Monday, questioned about the absence of the six-fold Golden Ball, left to rest.

With 11 players, including four French (Umtiti, Lenglet, Todibo and Griezmann) and many reservists (Carles Perez, Alena, Wagué ...), Barca has finally revealed too big a piece for Inter.

The Milanese had to win or do better than Borussia Dortmund. They lost and did worse than the Germans and their record in this difficult pool leaves them logically in the Europa League.

Two defeats against Barça, one against Dortmund and a draw against Slavia Prague, then trailed like a ball: it's too much to see the European spring.

Tuesday, faced with the unusual 3-4-2-1 Barça, the team of Antonio Conte sin by inefficiency, letting slip many opportunities, including Lukaku, clumsy and in the 60th minute wasted a match ball by shooting Neto.

While Borussia's quick goal against Slavia had confirmed the idea of ​​a final for nerazurri, they mostly had to run after the score, which was probably not the project.

Because on a magnificent ball Griezmann, Godin was able to push back to Carles Perez, who scored close (23). Ten minutes later, Lenglet could have killed the match, with an easy shot seven meters from goal. He did not do it and there was a match.

- Fati concludes -

Lukaku equalized just before the break (1-1, 44) after a big job Lautaro, impressive throughout the match in the duels and the body game.

Faced with Barça-B, and while the news of Dortmund was not bad, Inter seemed then to have all chances.

But the Italians still looked physically challenged from the hour of play, a recurring defect this season and accentuated by the many absences in the midfield (Sensi, Barella, Gagliardini).

They pushed but it was first Griezmann who was the most dangerous with a good shot just before his exit, after an hour when the world champion will have cleared up the game of his team but also lost a little too many balloons.

Minutes passing, Conte shot down all his offensive cards, ending with three axial strikers and two wingers.

He saw his players register two new goals for out-of-court (three in all), then dropped their head when Ansu Fati, 17, deceived Handanovic with a dry shot (86th) that gave the victory to Barça and condemned Inter to C3.

The tifosi nerazzuri have yet to wait, as they have since 2012 and the elimination of their team by Olympique Marseille Didier Deschamps and Brandao, which remains their last pass in the round of 16 C1.

But this year, the wait may be less bitter because their Inter is leading the Serie A.

© 2019 AFP