Pique makes Barcelona-Inter prediction and remembers controversial 2010 calls – Football Italia

Gerard Pique believes that his former club Barcelona have the advantage over Inter heading into Wednesday night’s Champions League semi-final first leg, and argues that there were two controversial calls when the two teams met at the same stage of the competition back in 2010. 

Barcelona host Inter at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Wednesday night for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. 

The two teams will meet again in San Siro on next Tuesday and the winner of this tie will go on to face either Arsenal or PSG in the final at the end of May. Gianluigi Donnarumma helped the Parisians to a 1-0 advantage at the Emirates on Tuesday night. 

Pique predicts Barcelona-Inter outcome 

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia ahead of kick-off between Barca and the Nerazzurri, Pique explained why he feels Hansi Flick’s side are the favourites against Inter, who are coming in off the back of three consecutive losses in Serie A and the Coppa Italia. 

“We are the slight favourites,” Pique said of Barcelona in an interview with Sky. 

“Inter come from a complicated period, but it will be a great match.” 

Pique recalls 2010 Barcelona-Inter semi-final

Inter and Barcelona also met in the Champions League semi-final back in 2010, when Jose Mourinho guided the Nerazzurri to an historic treble. Pique, however, believes that a pair of controversial calls over the two legs of the 2010 semi-final had an impact on the final result. 

“It was a difficult double-challenge,” the Spaniard recalled. “I remember the very long bus journey for the first leg because of the Icelandic volcano. 

“We lost 3-1 in Milan with a goal from Milito that was quite clearly offside. In the second leg, there was a disallowed goal from Bojan in the final minute, which I think was fine. We would have loved to have got to that final.”