“Be a buddy!”

It wasn't the referee, it was age. Barça is a three-Michelin-star stew that needs to be cooked to perfection. Patient cooking requires time. And also learning through mistakes. That's why the fans and the team won't be in Munich to lift our sixth Champions League trophy. The reaction of the Barça masses, including the most ashen-faced, has been goosebumps. The squad is a baby-faced giant and still needs a little support. We all understand that. And here we are, delighted to pamper this budding footballing giant on whose back we're already perched to reign in Europe in the coming seasons, provided we maintain the backbone of the team.

Before the imperial adventure, we must command our borders within. That's what tomorrow's game is about. With the Super Cup in one pocket and the Copa del Rey in the other, it's time to bend Real Madrid's neck once again and definitively clear the way for what will be—let's write it like this, as if it were a certainty—our 28th La Liga championship. Are we that sure? No. Only we must never go into a battle doubting victory. To hesitate is to lose. We'll rectify it when the time comes.

Beating Madrid also means beating Inter. Avenging the European setback on other teams.

There's going to be a fight. At this point in the season, Madrid is a stubborn bull, and that, as experts in the art of bullfighting explain, makes it even more dangerous. It arrives seasoned and aware of its status as a second-stringer due to its play, attitude, and proven talent. But from someone cornered, you shouldn't expect submission; rather, you should expect them to show their claws and slit your throat with them if they get the chance. That extra motivation provided by the thirst for revenge of someone who has been repeatedly battered is not easy to disarm. That's tomorrow's danger. And, in addition, the natural dejection of having been overthrown by Inter Milan just when we thought we had the heel of our boot planted in their neck to finish them off.

I believe the best motivational exercise for tomorrow is to imagine we're facing Inter Milan again, not Real Madrid. This way, Barça, too, will take to the field with the same hunger for retribution as the Merengues. To bite until they sink their teeth into the flesh. And if—with the permission of the hygienists and prophylaxis obsessives—some vulgar remarks have to be exchanged, it's better to say "vaffanculo" than "fuck you," or "sei un coglione " than "you're an idiot." The more realistic the simulation, the better.

Yes. Beating Real Madrid also means beating Inter. Avenging the European setback on other teams and another step toward our baby-faced giant finally taking on the adult appearance that has been emerging more clearly with each passing day. Let's smile. This party will last for years.