The ‘miracle’ Barcelona need to qualify for Champions League knockout stages

Qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League is out of Barcelona’s hands (AFP via Getty Images)

Xavi has said that Barcelona need “more than a miracle” to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The Catalan club sit third in Group C after four games, with a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in their last outing leaving them three points behind the Italian side.

Qualification for the round of 16 is now out of Barcelona’s hands, with Inter’s superior head-to-head record meaning they would progress if the two clubs finish level on points.

That means that Barcelona will be knocked out if Inter beat Viktoria Plzeň in their penultimate group game in Milan, regardless of whether Bayern Munich are then beaten at Camp Nou later on Wednesday evening.

The Czech side are Barcelona’s final opponents, but three more points for Inter would take them to ten, the maximum that Xavi’s side can reach if they win their final two games.

Viktoria Plzen are yet to take a point off of any of their group foes, conceding an average of four goals in each game.

“We need more than a miracle, we have a small hope, although we are in a very uncomfortable situation,” Xavi explained of the predicament in which Barcelona find themselves. “In football, sometimes the one who deserved it, doesn’t always win.

“Hope is the last thing to be lost. The misfortune is that we aren’t dependent on ourselves anymore. The Champions League has been cruel to us this year.”

A draw between Inter Milan and Viktoria would keep Barcelona’s hopes alive, provided they are then able to win their Matchday Five fixture against Bayern

If Inter are beaten in both of their final two fixtures, Barcelona would need only a win and a draw to surpass them on eight points – but a defeat to Bayern, who have four wins from four, would take both the German side and Inter through.