Lewandowski sustains a wounded Barça

Lewandowski sustains a wounded Barça

Xavi's men save (3-3) the mathematical elimination but are left with few options to advance

MADRID, 12 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

FC Barcelona saved a tie (3-3) this Wednesday against Inter Milan that leaves it with very few options to reach the round of 16 in the Champions League, a Barça disaster that is not mathematical but that shakes the project of Xavi.

The culé team maintains a thread of life in the highest continental competition thanks to a double by Lewandowski in the last 10 minutes. Barça started ahead but fell apart behind and were down 1-2 and 2-3, eliminated mathematically until a header from the Pole in 92' kept the Catalans in Group C.

The culé fan seemed to be already cured in horror but the Barça team dedicated a chapter to him on Wednesday that will take time to digest. It was the group of death, but also the ambition and illusion were through the roof. The fourth day brought a 'final' and Barça did not know how to handle it, full of errors and lacking in authority.

The game was already looking bad due to the defensive problem of Xavi Hernández's men. Among the many signings, the one from Terrassa saw that line reinforced for his attempt to revive the club after his last blank campaign, but the injuries to Koundé, Christensen and Araújo left a Barça without foundations, unable to keep the ball for defend yourself in difficult moments.

The azulgrana option was to recover the best version of Lewandowski and Dembélé, and they achieved it after Ter Stegen's miracle against Dzeko. Barça also had it, the visitor defense took it down a corner kick, but Inter felt comfortable at the back and arrived in danger. The novelty of Sergi Roberto above began to work for Xavi's team in a small siege.

On the way to the break, Barça grew and, with Rapinha's faith, Dembélé appeared in a small area to make it 1-0. Inter asked for the time while Xavi's men went with everything at times. It was just a mirage, because the culé team had neither control nor security behind in a round trip that silenced 90,000 people.

Barça lost intensity as they passed through the locker room and, in minute 50, Barella slipped behind Piqué to make it 1-1. The pressure hampered the game of Xavi's men, reducing balls and Ter Stegen doing miracles until Lautaro Martínez made it 1-2, in a big mistake by Busquets. Barça had half an hour left but each player waged war on their own.

Dembélé did not decide well, especially the one that he could give to Ansu Fati, and it was Lewandowski who pulled the car. The former Bayern player scored one, annulled offside, and another, a 2-2 with 10 minutes to go that Barça gave away again in defense, without going down against a Lautaro who gave it to Gosens for 2-3 . The Barça number '9' once again saved the mathematical elimination with a marvelous header.

In the long discount, there was no more miracle and Xavi's team is left with 4 points, for Inter's 7 and Bayern's 10, forced to win the two remaining games and hope for a favor. A dramatic situation for a Barça that longed to win again in Europe, to grow with a new team that was born touched.

--RESULT: FC BARCELONA, 3 - INTER MILAN, 3. (1-0, at half-time).

FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto (Kessie, min.72), Pique, Eric Garcia, Marcos Alonso (Balde, min.72), Busquets (Frenkie De Jong, min.64), Gavi (Ferran, min.82), Pedri, Dembele, Raphinha (Ansu Fati, min.64) and Lewandowski.

INTER DE MILÁN: Onana; Dumfries, Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni (Acerbi, min.85), Dimarco (Darmian, min.66); Barella (Asllani, min.85), Calhanoglu (Gosens, min.76), Mkhitaryan, Dzeko (Bellanova, min.76) and Lautaro Martínez.

1 - 0, min.40, Dembélé.

1 - 1, min. 50, Stretcher.

1 - 2, min. 63, Lautaro Martínez.

2 - 2, min.82, Lewandowski.

2 - 3, min.89, Gosens.

3 - 3, min.92, Lewandowski.

--REFEREE: Szymon Marciniak (POL). He admonished Dembélé (min.82) by Barça. And Lautaro (min.52), De Vrij (min.55) and Mkhitaryan (min.85) at Inter.

--STADIUM: Spotify Camp Nou, 92,302 spectators.