Barcelona failed to advance to the group stage of the Champions League. Xavi’s team lost again on Wednesday evening against Bayern Munich (0-3) and did not even manage to get a shot on target. Due to the defeat, Internazionale and Bayern can no longer be traced, which means that Barca has been sentenced to the Europa League. A hard blow for the five-time winner.
According to Mundo Deportivo Robert Lewandowski was the most disappointed player on the pitch at Barcelona on Wednesday night. It was the attacker’s first group stage elimination since 2011/12, when he played for Borussia Dortmund. “Not only did the Polish striker suffer a setback in the form of a defeat, but he was left without scoring against his former employer. He left the Allianz ArenA to achieve successes and titles, believing that the way to the Ballon d’Or was shorter, but now adds a big disappointment.”
The Spanish sports newspaper notes that Real Madrid is the smiling third, there the Royal now reaping significantly more money from the market pool. Atlético Madrid and Sevilla have also been eliminated, leaving Real the only remaining Spanish club in the billion-dollar ball. It provides the club with a guaranteed amount of 4.6 million euros. At the start of the Champions League season, the Spanish clubs had 56 million euros to divide. As reigning champions, the majority of that went to Real. Sevilla got the smallest share.
“Barcelona was like a toy for Bayern,” says ASH. Just like in the first leg in Germany, Xavi’s team had nothing to contribute. Sadio Mane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Benjamin Pavard scored the goals. “After an investment of 200 million to improve the squad, Barcelona was humiliated by a Bayern who played on the handbrake. It was David against Goliath.” marca states that ‘the nightmare on Thursday’ is back. “It is a sporting and economic debacle.”
The Barça players were loudly sung by their own fans afterwards, but according to Sport that was just a very small wipe for the bleeding. “The exemplary response from the fans was not enough to lift the spirits of some players already depressed towards the game against Bayern. What started badly with Inter’s win ended with a new lesson in Bavarian football. What a night of unity turned into a night of terror. Bayern have become the black beast of Barcelona’s latest debacles in Europe. Each one more painful and bloody than the other.”