Three talking points from the Premier League
FootballBarca Boss Xavi Laments About How the Champions League Has Been ‘Cruel’ to His Team After Inter Draw
- Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has decried the cruelty this year's Champions League has meted out to his side after Wednesday's 3-3 draw with Inter Milan
- Robert Lewandoski's last-gasp header has kept Barcelona's slim Champions League last 16 qualification hopes alive
- However, the Catalan giants will hope Inter Milan drops points in their final two games in order to have a chance of making it through to the round of 16
FC Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez claims this year's UEFA Champions League has been 'cruel' to his side.
Barca's inch-perfect start to La Liga is in sharp contrast to their output in Europe's premier club competition, picking up just one win in four games.
Having led 1-0, Xavi's charges found themselves down 2-1 and then 3-2 before Poland striker Robert Lewandowski’s late header salvaged a draw for the Catalan giants.
Lewandowski's late equaliser offers the six-time winners of the tournament a slim chance of qualifying for the last 16. However, their qualification is hinged on Inter dropping points in their last two games, as reported by the Athletic.
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Assessing his side's performance after their six-goal rollercoaster against Inter, Xavi decried:
"This Champions League is being cruel to us...” Xavi said as quoted by Euro Sport. “But in the second half, we made a lot of mistakes."
"The first goal was a clear mistake by the defensive line, and we [within the dressing room] had talked about it. Football is a game of mistakes and it's about minimizing them, today we have made very serious mistakes that have cost us."
Fans blame Xavi for Barca's draw
Xavi Effect: Barcelona return to the top of La Liga for the first time in two years, three months and 13 days
FootballEarlier, Sports Brief reported that fans of FC Barcelona have levelled the blame at head coach Xavi Hernandez, following his side's disappointing draw in the six-goal thriller against Inter Milan on Wednesday night.
Xavi's Barcelona had to win against the Nerazzurri to avoid yet another Champions League group elimination in two successive seasons, after picking up a single win in three games.
Frenchman Ousmane Dembele sent the fully-packed Camp Nou Stadium into delirium with the game's opener. However, a defiant Inter levelled the score just after recess before taking the lead twice - only to surrender it at the death.