Barcelona vs. Inter Milan score: Barca’s Champions League hopes hanging by thread thanks to Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona’s Champions League hopes for the 2022-23 season hang by a thread. In what looked set to be a shocking turn of events, Xavi’s side were nearly eliminated from the group stage on Wednesday, blowing a lead at home to Inter Milan, only to rescue a late 3-3 draw to salvage a point and stay alive. While it is certainly better than a loss, the point does very little for the team’s hopes of advancing from the group stage, needing a minor miracle to get through to the knockout stage.

In this one, Barca nearly lost to Inter twice in a week’s span, going down 2-1 after goals from Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez early in the second half after Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring. But it was Robert Lewandowski’s first goal just under 10 minutes from time that saw the teams draw level. Robin Gosens then fired Inter into the lead in the 89th minute before Lewandowski rescued a point in the 92nd minute with a fine-headed goal.

The result means Inter are in second with seven points, five behind leaders Bayern. Barca are in third with four points, needing to earn four more points than Inter the rest of the way to advance. 

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Here are three takeaways from the match:

Barcelona likely finished

If Barca and Inter finish level on points, Inter advance due to the head-to-head tiebreaker, thanks to having beaten and drawn Barca. If Inter Milan so much as draw Viktoria Plzen in Italy on Matchday 5, Barca will be forced to win out, including having to defeat Bayern Munich. The Italian side are expected to win that match with little trouble, and if they do Barcelona will be eliminated before they kick another ball in the Champions League. 

To advance, Barcelona must earn four more points than Inter the rest of the way:

Here’s the Matchday 5 schedule:

Wednesday, Oct. 26Inter vs. Viktoria Plzen, 12:45 p.m. (Paramount+)Barcelona vs. Bayern, 3 p.m. (Paramount+)

Barca are in big, big trouble.

Lautaro Martinez and Nicolo Barella punish Barca

Early in the second half, with a 1-0 lead, Barca kept their foot on the gas in an attempt to slam the door shut. Well, it cost them. Playing a bit too advanced and lacking awareness, Barella finished with a fine hit after a sleeping Gerard Pique let the ball go by him intentionally and inexcusably. Take a look:

That’s a great hit, but goodness me, Pique. He thought Marc-Andre ter Stegen was there to scoop it up, but Barella was attentive enough to make them pay.

Then just 13 minutes later, the Barcelona transfer target, Martinez, did this:

A quick one-two punch that turned this game on its head. Credit Barca for battling back, but this is where they lost pretty much all hopes of advancing. 

Inter deserved it, but Barca didn’t help themselves

Barca finished the game with 25 shots compared to Inter’s 11, and they also had 62 percent possession. Time and time again they got the ball on the edge of the box but somehow three goals were not enough. We have to remember that this is a Barca team with so many injuries at center back, evident by having to play Pique. With their top three center backs all out injured in Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde and Andreas Chistensen, it really showed and ultimately made all the difference.