Barcelona eliminated from UEFA Champions League

Barcelona have once again been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stage following Inter’s win at home to Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday evening.

The result means that Barça will finish third in their group and transfer to the Europa League for a second season running.

There were lofty expectations of the Bluagrana following a summer of heavy spending and a strong end to the 2021/22 campaign under Xavi, but even the arrival of Robert Lewandowski has failed to save them from elimination at this stage again.

While Barcelona started the group stage well – defeating Viktoria Plzen 5-1 at Camp Nou – they then lost in successive games to Bayern Munich and Inter to give themselves a mountain to climb.

They then drew 3-3 with Inter in a classic Champions League encounter, and their hopes of qualification were only kept alive thanks to a last-gasp equaliser from Lewandowski.

However, the Nerazzurri’s 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in Wednesday’s early kick-off ensured that they and Bayern will advance to the last 16 at Barcelona’s expense.

Barcelona reached the quarter-finals of last season’s Europa League after dropping into the second-tier competition, eliminating Napoli and Galatasaray before falling to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.