UEFA Champions League
Result: FC Barcelona 2-0 Inter Milan
Date: 24 October 2018
Venue: Camp Nou
FC Barcelona, who were without Lionel Messi, maintained their 100 percent record in the UEFA Champions League this season with a 2-0 victory over Inter Milan at the Camp Nou.
Messi sustained an arm injury over the weekend, but Ernesto Valverde opted to start Rafinha ahead of Ousmane Dembele, while defender Samuel Umtiti once again missed out through injury.
After a largely quiet opening 20 minutes, Rafinha should have broken the deadlock for the hosts after being played in by Luis Suarez, but the Brazilian fired straight at Samir Handanovic.
Four minutes later, Rafinha made up for the earlier miss with a clinical side-foot volley into the bottom corner after latching onto a Suarez's superb pass.
Inter, meanwhile, were quite content to sit back and soak up pressure, although they failed to provide any real attacking threat on the break in the opening 45 minutes.
The second half continued in the same fashion as the first, although Handanovic produced a couple fine saves in the opening 15 minutes of the stanza to keep Inter in the game.
The woodwork denied the Catalan giants a second goal on 70 minutes as Philippe Coutinho rattled the upright with a volley from 10-yards out after an impressive counter attack.
With 15 minutes remaining, Inter manager Luciano Spalletti introduced Senegal international Balde Keita for Ivan Perisic as they went in search of an equaliser.
However, Barca sealed the win with seven minutes remaining as Ivan Rakitic played in Jordi Alba, who shrugged off a challenge before firing into the far corner.
