FC Barcelona only hit one shot on target and failed to score away from home for the first time this season
Several statistics explain Barça’s 2-0 defeat at San Siro and provide some lessons for the return leg. Here is our analysis of the key stats:
– FC Barcelona only shot once on target. They had seven shots in total, although none of these were particularly clear-cut.
– AC Milan shot eight times, three times on target, and two of those attempts went in. Basically, they took their chances.
– Neither were the stats for balls lost and won too inspiring. Barça won 51 and lost 82, while AC Milan won 69 and lost 81.
– Barça were typically impressive as far as passing was concerned, making 860, of which 764 were good. The Italians attempted less than half that number, 328, and completed 240.
– San Siro was the first away game this season in which Barça didn’t score once. Not since losing 1-0 at Chelsea in last year’s Champions League semi finals had that happened.
– Barça have not lost by two goals since the first leg of the Spanish Supercup in 2010/11. That defeat by an under-strength team was turned around, 4-0, at the Camp Nou. Milan was also the city where Barça last lost a European tie by two goals, against Inter in 2009/10 (3-1). The 1-0 win in the return leg would not prove to be enough to make amends.
– Barça have not lost 2-0 in Europe since December 7, 2004 in Donetsk, although that was a meaningless group stage match after FCB had already qualified.
– AC Milan have been knocked out of Europe three times in the past despite winning the first leg at home. That happened in 1969/70 against Feyenoord (1-0 and 2-0), in 1995/96 against Girondins Bordeaux (2-0 and 3-0) and in 2003/04 against Deportivo (4-1 and 4-0).
– Never in their history have Barça qualified after losing the first leg of a European match 2-0, but they have come back from 3-0 down three times.