Barcelona vs Inter: Three key battles of Group F clash

Bengaluru, October 1: La Liga giants Barcelona are all set to host Italian powerhouse Inter at Camp Nou on matchday two of the Champions League group stage on Wednesday (October 2). Both teams started their Champions League campaigns with stalemates and will be desperate for three points this time out.

Barcelona have had a shaky start to their domestic campaign as well and now sit fourth on the table with 13 points in seven games whereas Inter are enjoying a perfect start to their Serie A campaign with six wins in six games.

Antonio Conte's boys are leading serial Serie A winners Juventus by two points as finally it looks like the Old Lady are in for a real test after a long time.

In this article, we take a look at three key battles that may decide the Champions League Group F match between Barcelona and Inter.

Romelu Lukaku vs Gerard Pique

Romelu Lukaku looks like a completely different player in Italy with his confidence sky high following his move to Inter from Manchester United. He was often made the scapegoat for the Red Devils which was a bit harsh on him. Conte is a big admirer of the Belgian and the 26-year-old has so far paid his boss back for the faith showed by him.

Lukaku, with his power and aerial abilities, could prove to be a big threat to the under-performing Barcelona defence and Barcelona's most experienced defender and their leader in defence Gerard Pique must be at his very best to stop the former Manchester United boss from doing too much damage.

Luis Suarez vs Milan Skriniar

Lionel Messi has made his comeback to training following his injury layoff but it might be too much for him to start in such a high-octane game. In Messi's absence, Luis Suarez will have that extra amount of burden on his shoulders to deliver at the biggest stage.

The Uruguayan has been quite below par compared to his standards of late especially in the Champions League but Inter must be careful with him as he is a very special player. Milan Skriniar is among the best defenders on the planet at the moment and he needs to show why he is so highly rated by stopping Suarez.

Sergio Busquets vs Stefano Sensi

Stefano Sensi has been a revelation of the season so far. The 24-year-old has been brilliant for Inter in the middle of the park in a defensive midfield role. He is a great controller of the game and is one of the key reasons why Inter is performing at such a high level.

However, against Barcelona, Sensi will be up against a player who has been one of the best players in defensive midfield role for more than a decade now, Sergio Busquets. Busquets vs Sensi will be a great individual battle to watch out for and the winner of this battle can very well decide the outcome of the game.