Inter and coach Luciano Spalletti know they have a tough task ahead of them, when the nerazzurri travel to face Barcelona in the Champions League. The coach previewed the match in his pre-match press conference, as Inter, coming off a win against Milan in the derby, look to bring home another inspired victory: "When you face Barça, where there's talent everywhere on the pitch, one of the strongest teams in the world, going to the the Nou Camp to play, it's obvious that they are the favorites. But we must have great faith in ourselves, which should not be arrogance: we must go out with humility and ready to work hard. Without Messi it will be easier, but Barcelona is still a great squad. Will we change our attitude because he is out? It is not an easy thing to do as a footballer. Messi is a different footballer. He is someone who when you think you've seen everything, he comes and does something special."
Inter striker Mauro Icardi also discussed the absence of Messi, when he was asked during his press conference: "The reaction when I heard that Messi would be out? I thought, that's a shame. Because it's nice to play against the best players. Messi is the best in the world, it's a shame he won't be on the pitch. But we will look to take advantage of it. Coming through Barça meant a lot to my career, I learned a lot and it has helped me become what I am today. Returning to Barcelona is special because it's where I started my career. Could I have stayed at Barcelona? I haven't thought about it, the decision was made in the moment, knowing that it would be difficult to play in Barcelona's first team and when the chance came to play in Italy I didn't doubt it for a moment."
