The culé team drew with Inter on matchday four of the Champions League and does not depend on itself to go through to the round of 16
The Barça could stay out of the round of 16 for the second consecutive year in a sequence that the club has never experienced in the 21st century. Inter pulled out a tie at three and could have been worse. The fact is that Xavi’s team seems virtually condemned to return to the Europa League.
The 92,302 people who witnessed the duel at the culé coliseum saw how Barca’s defensive fragility -with absent starting central defenders Koundé, Araujo and Christensen- was the one that condemned any glimmer of hope from Xavi Hernández’s boys. Piqué first and then Eric García had a lack of forcefulness in the Italian goals.
Barça did everything well in the statistical section dominating the first part with enormous clarity. In fact, the team never he had lost a match in which Dembélé scored (27 wins and 5 draws), who opened the account in the 40th minute.
The problem and the doubts they arrived at the beginning of the second half with an Inter that knew how to perfectly attack the gaps in the culé defense scoring three goals in six shots on goal in the second half. Barella, Lautaro and Gosens were the executioners of what was going to be a great culé party.
Barça had a lot of emergencies and that reappeared Robert Lewandowski at his best with two goals which were ultimately insufficient. The culé team dominated possession, shots on goal and even ran 125.9 kilometers registering their best of the season, but there was no way.
Doubts with Xavi
The hitherto untouchable Xavi Hernandez appears more questioned than ever after not having achieved a victory of relevance in the highest European competition. Last year they were unable to beat Benfica or Bayern Munich and this year the same has happened with Bayern and Inter. His only two wins as coach have been against Dinamo kyiv and Viktoria Plzen.
This poor baggage leaves the culé season in absolute check. Laporta had budgeted to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League and falling in the group stage could leave a gap in the culé coffers of more than 25 million euros. The miracle is still possible, but for many unfeasible.
Inter must lose against Viktoria Plzen at home in the next round and Barça must beat Bayern on that same day. Then the culé team must end up beating the Czechs and hope that Inter did not beat the Germans, who would already have secured the first place in the group giving all these results. Barça is on the brink of the abyss.