Champions League
What result does Barcelona need to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League?
Xavi Hernández and his new team were on the ropes and Inter’s win over Viktoria Plzen means Barcelona are out of the Champions League no matter the score against Bayern.
Update: Inter’s win over Viktoria Plzen means Barcelona are out of the Champions League
Coming into tonight’s (Wednesday) round of Champions League fixtures it was fair to say that FC Barcelona is on the ropes. If the Champions League group stage was a boxing match, then the referee would have been ready to step in between the opponents to signal that it (where ‘it’ is qualification for the knockout rounds, pun most clearly intended) is over for the Catalan team. And indeed, while there was the very slightest of hopes for the culés to cling to, their dreams were left shattered before they even got to kick a ball against Bayern Munich, with Inter’s win meaning they have no chance of reaching the second round this year once again, having missed out last year too.
In related news:
Barça needed a miracle to qualify in UCL
The draw against Inter Milan at the Camp Nou had significantly reduced the chances for Xavi’s men to reach their base objective, laeving them needing little less than a miracle to make the round of 16. With just four points, the Ciudad Condal squad has only won one match in the Champions League so far this season. Not what was expected given the changes to personnel in the summer and positive start in LaLiga.
With four games of the UEFA Champions League having already been played, the situation could hardly have been worse for the culé team. All the sensible money was on Inter beating Viktoria Plzén, currently bottom of the group, in the early Wednesday game, and that indeed sealed Barça’s fate before they stepped out for their own match.
Anyway, let’s consider what that miracle looks like...
How Barcelona could have progressed
Xavi’s side obviously needed points from the final two group games. That’s the basics of this dilemma. Then, however, they needed things to go their way in the opposing fixtures.
Winning both the remaining games (Bayern and Viktoria Plzén) will move Barça onto 10 points. In this situation they would need Inter (currently on seven points) not to win either of their final games. Two draws from the Italians would move them onto nine. With Inter winning and moving onto 10, it’s all over because they would win the head-to-head if Barcelona did end up getting onto 10.