Such has been the emphasis on that aspect of Wales' play under Gatland and Shaun Edwards that even in attack Wales' formation has recently mirrored a defensive pattern.

BBC: Fans disappointed by Wales slump

The swamps are finally drained and channeled today, in part courtesy of Mussolini, but the old, defensive pattern of settlement is still visible: Nearly every town of antiquity was built inland, on the hilltops, while an explosion of postwar development has crowded the once-deserted coasts.

FORBES: The Other Tuscany

The pattern was set early on, with Inter happy to sit deep and flood their defensive areas in protection of their first-leg lead, while the hosts' passing game was typically fluent but all too often in front of the visitors rather than in behind them.

BBC: Barcelona 1-0 Inter (agg 2-3)