CHAMPIONS LEAGUE INTER MILAN 0 - 0 BARCELONA: Inter Milan ended Barcelona's 100 per cent record in the Champions League but failed to close the gap on the Group A leaders after being held to a 0-0 draw at the San Siro last night.
Barcelona, who beat the Italians 3-0 in Spain last week for a record 11th win in the competition, top the second phase group with 10 points, three more than Inter, and four ahead of third-placed Newcastle.
Chances were few and far between, but the best fell to Inter striker Christian Vieri who has failed to score in Europe since December 2001, despite netting 21 times in Serie A this season.
Uruguayan striker Alvaro Recoba, sent off 10 minutes from the end at the Nou Camp, was suspended along with Colombian defender Ivan Cordoba.
Inter's on-loan striker Gabriel Batistuta was cup-tied having represented AS Roma earlier in the tournament, while fellow Argentinians Hernan Crespo and Matias Almeyda are nursing long-term injuries. Barcelona's Dutch winger Marc Overmars was also ruled out.
Inter almost enjoyed the perfect start when Vieri rifled a shot high into the top corner in the second minute, but his spectacular effort was ruled out as the Italy international had strayed fractionally offside.
Sixty seconds later Barcelona's Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert saw his goalbound shot blocked by Fabio Cannavaro's perfectly-timed sliding tackle, before Carlos Puyol was booked for a cynical foul on Mohammed Kallon.
Barcelona's Brazilian midfieler Fabio Rochenmback fired wide for the Spaniards after a neat cut-back by Gabri, while at the other end Kallon's 25-yard chip narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Domenico Morfeo joined Puyol in the referee's notebook to even up the booking count and was lucky to stay on the pitch in the 33rd minute.
Javier Zanetti broke free on the right flank and crossed low for Vieri whose back-flick landed at Morfeo's feet. The Inter midfielder dodged Frank De Boer's challenge and with the goal at his mercy fell flat on the floor. Morfeo claimed De Boer caught him late with an outsretched boot but television replays showed Morfeo was inexplicably looking for a penalty when he could have scored.
Vieri headed wide of an open goal from Giovanni Pasquale's cross three minutes after half-time, and as Inter increased the pressure Stephane Dalmat was denied by a flying save from Roberto Bonano just before being stretchered off on the hour after a late challenge.
Kluivert had a chance to maintain Barcelona's flawless record 19 minutes from time, but his close-range shot failed to trouble Inter goalkeeper Francesco Toldo.
INTER MILAN: Toldo, Kallon (Di Biagio 34), Javier Zanetti, Cristiano Zanetti, Morfeo, Guglielminpietro (Sergio Conceicao 77), Cannavaro, Dalmat (Martins 60), Gamarra, Pasquale, Vieri. Subs not used: Fontana, Materazzi, Vivas, Coco. Booked: Morfeo, Cannavaro.
BARCELONA: Bonano, Reiziger, De Boer, Puyol (Andersson 78), Xavi, Cocu (Mendieta 58), Rochemback (Riquelme 65), Gabri, Motta, Saviola, Kluivert. Subs not used: Enke, Iniesta, Dani. Booked: Puyol, Cocu.
Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland).
