Barcelona Ease Past Inter Milan Without Lionel Messi

RAFINHA Replaced Lionel Messi and helped Barcelona win without him as the Brazilian scored the opener in a 2-0 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on tonight.

The result continues Barcelona’s good start in Group B with Borussia Dortmund in a similar position in Group A after they claimed an impressive 4-0 win over one of Barcelona’s La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid. In the same group Thierry Henry saw his Monaco side held to a 1-1 draw by Club Brugge.

With Messi out for three weeks and Real Madrid next up at the Camp Nou on Sunday, the question was whether Barcelona could cope without their star player and captain.

The answer may not have been resounding – they lacked some punch before Jordi Alba added a late second – but this controlled performance will certainly send them into the Clasico with a spring in their step.

Luis Suarez, Arthur and Philippe Coutinho were all excellent in Messi’s absence. Victory all-but secures Barcelona’s passage to the Champions League last 16 too. They have nine points from three games and now sit top of Group B.

Messi was watching in the stands with his son Ciro and his fractured right arm in a sling. As soon as the ball left the centre circle, the fans sang his name.

Barca had drawn with Athletic Bilbao in the only other match this season he had not started, and that could have been a defeat were it not for him setting up the equaliser.

Rafinha, who was playing on loan at Inter only five months ago, was a surprise replacement. Ousmane Dembele was the one expected to come in and the fact the Frenchman remained on the bench until the end does not speak well of his current status.

For the opening goal Rafinha started the move, the ball spilling out of a midfield tussle and into his path. He sent it right to Suarez, whose chipped cross reunited with Rafinha, who had continued his run and sidefooted home.

Coutinho went closest to another before half-time, his free-kick deflecting inches wide, but Inter had a better spell after the break. Ter Stegen had to scoop away a Perisic cross and Matteo Politano, on as a substitute, should have capitalised on some careless defending.

Barca came again. Suarez wiggled through, Lenglet hit Handanovic from close range and Coutinho struck the crossbar after a sensational counter-attack, begun by a brilliant Arthur flick.

Arthur departed to a standing ovation soon after and with eight minutes left, Alba finally made sure of the win. He pushed Ivan Rakitic’s ball past Milan Skriniar and drove into the far corner. There was still time for one more Messi chant before the final whistle blew.