Barcelona looked to be in trouble on Wednesday night as they fell behind early at home to Inter in their Champions League encounter.
It followed on from their goalless draw against Borussia Dortmund in their opening game, and had they lost, it could have potentially put them in a hole early on in their bid to advance from the group.
Fortunately for the Catalan giants, they were able to launch a comeback as a Luis Suarez brace ensured that they picked up all three points against Antonio Conte’s men and now sit joint top of Group F with four points from their opening two games.
As noted by Mundo Deportivo, Valverde played a key role at half-time by delivering a tactical talk and by also introducing Arturo Vidal in the 53rd minute to give his side more energy and tenacity in midfield to win that particular battle as he asked them to push up and press with more intent.
“It was a matter of persevering and in the second half we had to take a step forward,” he is quoted as saying by the report. “Something had to be done, to get some input even if it was messy, decide something else in the final third.
“A break was needed and Arturo is a somewhat messy player but he gives us that. It is very difficult to discourage Arturo Vidal. He is an ideal player to break the game, we needed him, with Brozovic so close to the centre.”
Further, it’s noted that Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique were seen giving tactical advice in the tunnel before the second half got underway too, as they stressed the need to stay calm but also to commit to their press if they pushed forward, perhaps relaying the message from their coach.
Ultimately, it all helped contribute to a win for Barcelona, and a crucial one at that. However, they’ll be hoping to make more comfortable work of their remaining games to ensure that they advance to the knockout stages.
