Barcelona manager Xavi admitted they were not at Bayern Munich’s level after the German side inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the Catalan outfit.
Barca took on Bayern Munich in their latest fixture in the Champions League. The Spanish outfit were knocked out of the competition even before their match with Bayern had started.
Barcelona needed Inter Milan to drop points against Viktoria Plzen to keep their hopes of progression to round-of-16 alive. But the Serie A giants romped their way into a 4-0 win over the Czech outfit. That meant Inter sealed their place in the next stage of the competition, and Barcelona will not.
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An already eliminated Barcelona then took on Bayern Munich in their fifth match of the Champions League 22/23 group stage. But Bayern piled more misery on Barcelona, securing a 3-0 win.
Xavi admits Barcelona were not at Bayern Munich’s level after the 3-0 defeat
Bayern comfortably beat Barcelona on the night, with Sadio Mane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Benjamin Pavard scoring goals for the Bundesliga champions.
Barcelona, despite dominating possession with 52% of the ball, never managed to register a shot on target against Bayern Munich.
Speaking after the match, Barcelona manager Xavi conceded they were not at Bayern’s level in the game. He also said that the confirmation of elimination from the Champions League before the game had even started affected them psychologically.
Xavi also admitted it is a blow for Barcelona, but insisted they need setbacks to grow. “Bayern were better, we can’t have any complaints. It is the reality for us now,” Xavi said.
“We have to disconnect from the Champions League and focus on the other competitions. It is a blow, but I have already said that maybe we need these setbacks to grow.
“We were not at Bayern’s level today. They were better. In Munich we were ourselves, but today they were better, intense. The elimination before the game affected us psychologically.”
Barcelona now have four points from five matches in the Champions League this season. They are already six points behind second-placed Inter Milan, a gap which they cannot bridge with just one game remaining for them.
Bayern, meanwhile, have won all five matches they have played in the competition so far this season. They top Group C with 15 points, five more than Inter and 11 more than Barcelona.