(Football news) Five time European champions Barca have failed to qualify for the round of 16 for the first time since 2003-04. Wednesday's 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich, coupled up with Benfica's big win over Dynamo Kiev in Lisbon subsequently sent them to third place in Group E and condemned them to Thursday night football in 2022. Barcelona will play in the Europa League football after 17 consecutive seasons in the Champions League.
Barcelona never even looked threatening against Bayern as two first-half goals from Thomas Muller and Leroy Sane set Bayern on their way, the result was put well out of reach for Barca when Jamal Musiala’s strike just past the hour mark put the final nail in Barca’s Champions League campaign and it also marked a perfect record in Group E for the Bavarians. Benfica beat Dynamo Kiev in the other group match of the day to ensure new Barca coach Xavi Hernandez's team would miss out on the UCL round of 16 for the first time since Lionel Messi's first season with the club. The more concerning part for Barca fans is that the club have scored just twice in six group games and have lost their last two matches in all competitions following Xavi's first defeat in charge of the side against Real Betis on Saturday.
Josep Maria Bartomeu ran the club into the ground as Joan Laporta succeeded him this year, with the club's gross debt standing at €1.4 billion but that wasn’t an excuse against the mighty Germans, It's a cliche, but it really was men against boys as the German champions were far stronger, quicker, smarter and better-coached. To put matters into perspective, Barca have managed 25 goals to Robert Lewandowski's 27 and the Polish international didn't even get on the scoresheet. Barca have now won just 10 of their last 24 away matches in Europe, and have lost five of their last nine games in the Champions League. They will now hope the Europa League can be a fresh start and hopefully a beginning of a new era, as the optimistic new coach Xavi Hernandez was positive after the game.
Xavi after the match said "Bayern were better, superior. This is the harsh reality we have to face. I have told players that this is a turning-point. Today a new era begins and we have to take Barca where it deserves, which is not the Europa League. I am frustrated because this is our reality. We start from scratch and we have to get Barca back to fighting for the Champions League. I now feel responsible. Now we have to go out and win the Europa League."
Thomas Muller after the match said “I think Barça can’t cope with the intensity, Technically, they have it all, they are great players tactically and technically. But they can’t cope with the intensity in top football.”
