Old-school Inter defy odds to punch above their weight

The Italians stand out when compared to Arsenal, PSG and their semi-final opponents Barcelona

- Richard Jolly

Expect to see the images of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, of Thiago Motta being sent off in the Nou Camp and Internazionale's 10 men defending, playing without the ball, knocking out one of the greatest teams ever. The 2010 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona remains seminal. But not merely because of the stylistic contrasts or the meeting of the managers who were allies turned enemies and opposites.

It, and Inter’s subsequent victory over Louis van Gaal’s Bayern Munich in the final, meant they were the last Italian club to win the Champions League. As Inter prepare for another semi-final against Barcelona, they may savour parallels with the past. This time, they have already beaten Bayern, in the last eight.

Inter came close to their fourth European Cup in 2023, reaching the final, Manchester City requiring several fine saves from Ederson to triumph in Istanbul. Juventus played in two finals in three seasons in the 2010s. Yet there can be an anachronistic feel to talk of Serie A teams conquering Europe. That 2010 triumph was the seventh in 22 seasons for an Italian club. There have been none in the last 14. They have lost out in a world of Premier League television revenues, Spanish superpowers and failures of infrastructure in Italy.