BARCELONA (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski scored two late goals to save Barcelona from elimination in the Champions League in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter Milan yesterday at Camp Nou.
The Polish forward dragged Xavi Hernandez’s side level at 2-2 in the 82nd minute and then again at 3-3 in stoppage time with a towering header, after Robin Gosens put the Italians ahead with one minute remaining.
Barcelona’s Champions League fate is no longer in their own hands though and they still face a second consecutive group stage elimination if Inter Milan win at home against eliminated Viktoria Plzen on October 26.
Being on the verge of another early knock-out is a bitter blow for the Catalans, who hoped a summer signing spree including Lewandowski from Bayern Munich could restore their position among Europe’s elite.
“They were our errors tonight, we had the game in our hands, we had it in Munich, we had it in Milan and we had it here today,” bemoaned Xavi. “We’re depending on another team to go through. They are our mistakes, we have to improve them. That’s the reality. The (improvement) process is longer than we thought in Europe.
“There are other competitions, La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Super Copa. We have to insist, persist, believe.”
