Castrol Performance data shows that in the Champions League this season, the Catalans have won 80 percent of their games at the Nou Camp, a figure which drops considerably when the Spanish giants have travelled away from home.
Indeed, Barca have won only one of their six Champions League games on the road, posting a surprisingly poor 16.7 percent win-rate.
Central to their strong form at home is a mix of uninhibited attacking play and disciplined defending. This free-flowing forward play was there for all to see in their 4-1 demolition of Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
Josep Guardiola’s side have netted 2.6 goals per game at home, compared to just one per game on the road. Interestingly, they have actually been more accurate with their shooting away from home (58.1 percent compared to 54.5 at home), but both their shots per game (15.4 percent compared to 10.3) and chance conversion rates (16.9 percent compared to 9.7) are significantly higher at the Nou Camp.
At the other end of the pitch, Barca have shipped 0.6 goals per game on average at home compared to 1.2 on the road, while their tackle success rate is also far higher in the familiar surroundings of the Nou Camp (78 percent compared to 67.72).
Inter are, for the most part, a typically well-disciplined Jose Mourinho side. While they may not be able to match Barcelona’s passing quality, they are more than capable of out-muscling their opponents. So far this season, Inter players have made a competition-high seven last man tackles (next best is Barca and Manchester United with 4).
The Milan giants have also made more blocks than any other side – 34, compared last-placed Barca’s 12. Surprisingly, CSKA Moscow are second on the list with 33, followed by beaten semifinalists Lyon (29) and Arsenal (25).
But Inter do have some prowess at the other end of the pitch, with Real Madrid cast-off Wesley Sneijder proving a shrewd buy. In the first-leg against Barca he scored one and created another – an assist which sees him sitting joint-top of the list with five, along with Arsenal’s Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin and Gilardino of Fiorentina.
The importance of Sneijder to Inter is further highlighted by his involvement in eight goals in the competition this season, more than half of their total of 15. That involvement is also a joint competition high this season, along with Gilardino and Leo Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo has seven.
By contrast, Barcelona’s Swedish hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to find his best form in the first leg against his former club, failing to muster a single shot or create a single chance in his 62 minutes of action. Indeed, the striker only managed one single touch in the Inter box all night.
However, the former Ajax man will no doubt be determined to make his mark in the return leg at the Nou Camp. Overall this season in the Champions League, Ibrahimovic has netted four goals in his nine appearances, with all those four strikes coming with his right boot from close range.
Only six players have netted more often this season in the competition – Messi leading the way with eight goals in 10 games, followed Ronaldo (seven in six), Ivica Olic (seven in nine), Nicolas Bendtner (five in five), Marouane Chamakh (five in nine) and Wayne Rooney (five in seven).
Will Ibrahimovic makes his way up that list on Wednesday, will Messi surge further ahead, or will Samuel Eto’o, who has only managed two goals in the Champions League all season, come good against the team who deemed him surplus to requirements?* For more key insights, visit Castrol Football