Barcelona's failure to beat Inter Milan in Matchday 4 at the Camp Nou pushed the Spanish giants to the brink of a second straight group stage elimination, and their worst fears were realized before even kicking a ball in the next round.
The Blaugrana could only muster a 3-3 draw against the Italian side last time out, and while that didn't quite do it mathematically, Inter made it official by beating Viktoria Plzen 4-0 before Barcelona could even take the field against Bayern hoping to save their European season.
Instead, for the second straight campaign, Barcelona are destined for the Europa League, a competition which two years ago was squarely beneath the giant Catalan club, having never before stepped foot in the event.
Here are the updated Group C standings with two matchdays remaining. Only the top two teams advance:
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bayern Munich-X | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 |
| 2. Inter Milan-X | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +5 |
| 3. Barcelona-UEL | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
| 4. Viktoria Plzen-E | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 19 | -17 |
- X = qualified to the Round of 16
- UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
- E = eliminated
MORE: A full look at the 2022/23 Champions League group stage standings
Barcelona suffer Champions League elimination again
After picking up only a point in what was virtually a must-win Matchday 4 game against Inter, Barcelona were officially eliminated from the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League when the Italian side took care of basement-dwellers Viktoria Plzen on October 26. That match in Italy was part of the two early kickoffs, meaning Barcelona were officially out of the competition before they even took the field against Bayern with the hopes of saving their European campaign.
In front of over 92,000 fans at the Camp Nou in mid-October, Barcelona looked to be well on their way against Inter Milann in a critical game where they required victory to stay afloat. Ousmane Dembele secured a first-half advantage in the 40th minute to give Barcelona the lead at the halftime break. The second half, however, turned into a complete mess that featured multiple collapses by the home side.
Barcelona stalwart Gerard Pique completely switched off, unaware that Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella had snuck in behind him to level the score at 1-1 just five minutes after the break. Then 13 minutes later, just past the hour mark, Inter Milan attacker Lautaro Martinez put the other Barcelona center-back Eric Garcia in a blender and gave Inter the 2-1 lead.
Robert Lewandowski staved off elimination after he leveled the score at 2-2 in the final 10 minutes, but Inter substitute Robin Gosens seemingly eliminated Barcelona with his 89th minute breakaway goal. But Lewandowski again scored to equalize at 3-3. However, the draw was of little help to Barcelona and may have merely delayed the inevitable.
Why Barcelona were eliminated from Champions League
While Barcelona's summer spending spree seemed to be paying off early in La Liga play, the big names failed to show up when it mattered most in the Champions League.
The woes began in Germany as Robert Lewandowski was blanked against his former club Bayern Munich in his return to Allianz Arena, suffering a 2-0 defeat. The Blaugrana out-shot the hosts and won the expected goals battle, but came up empty in front of net. Lewandowski put just two of his seven shots on frame, stymied by former teammate Manuel Neuer on a 21st minute header that required a stellar save.
That slip would have been meaningless had Barcelona taken care of business against Inter Milan, who were proving inconsistent in Serie A play, but they put the Blaugrana to the sword in Europe. In Italy, Barcelona were again held goalless in a drab 1-0 result for Inter that featured a Pedri goal ruled out for a foul. The result was against the run of both clubs' form, and put all the pressure on Barca.
Barcelona still had a chance to save their campaign at home against Inter in the reverse fixture, leading at halftime thanks to Ousmane Dembele, but it all fell apart early in the second half. Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez struck within 13 minutes of each other to put Inter ahead. Lewandowski scored a pair as the game came to a close, including a 92nd minute goal that salvaged a point, but Robin Gosens' 89th minute goal was the dagger in a game that Barcelona required three points to remain in control of their own destiny.
MORE: Which clubs are through to the Champions League knockout stage?
Group C schedule
| Date | Match | Time (BST / ET) |
| Wed, Sept. 7 | Inter Milan 0, Bayern Munich 2 | |
| Wed, Sept. 7 | Barcelona 5, Viktoria Plzen 1 | |
| Tue, Sept. 13 | Viktoria Plzen 0, Inter Milan 2 | |
| Tue, Sept. 13 | Bayern Munich 2, Barcelona 0 | |
| Tue, Oct. 4 | Bayern Munich 5, Viktoria Plzen 0 | |
| Tue, Oct. 4 | Inter Milan 1, Barcelona 0 | |
| Wed, Oct. 12 | Barcelona 3, Inter Milan 3 | |
| Wed, Oct. 12 | Viktoria Plzen 2, Bayern Munich 4 | |
| Wed, Oct. 26 | Inter Milan 3, Viktoria Plzen 0 | |
| Wed, Oct. 26 | Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Tue, Nov. 1 | Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan | 20:00 / 16:00 |
| Tue, Nov. 1 | Viktoria Plzen vs. Barcelona | 20:00 / 16:00 |
Barcelona out of group stage: How often has it happened?
This is the fifth time Barcelona have been ousted before the knockout stage since the Champions League group format was introduced in 1992. Last year's elimination was the first since the 2000/01 competition, and the first time since the Champions League introduced the drop to the Europa League.
Barcelona finished third in their 2021/22 group behind Bayern Munich and Benfica, seeing them drop from the Champions League to the Europa League for the first time in club history.
Therefore, elimination in this year's competition marks just the second time in the last decade they have not reached the knockout stage of the Champions League, and the fifth all-time alongside a run of misses in 1997/98, 1998/99, and 2000/01.
Last season was the first time since the 2003/04 campaign — they didn't participate in that tournament after failing to finish among the top four teams in Spain — that Barcelona had not played in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Now it's about to happen for two seasons in a row.
They have featured in UEFA's second tier competition 23 times, including in its previous iterations as the UEFA Cup (1971-2009) and Fairs Cup (1955-1971), which was rebranded to "Europa League" in 2009-10.
Barcelona have never made the final of this second-tier competition (as the Fairs Cup, UEFA Cup or Europa League). They were UEFA Cup semifinalists on four occasions, losing each semifinal by one goal on aggregate: 1975/76, 1977/78, 1995/96 and 2000/01.
Lewandowski falls short vs. Inter, Bayern in Champions League
Robert Lewandowski may have scored two against Inter at the Camp Nou last time out to temporarily stave off elimination, but the Polish international has failed to impress for Barcelona thus far in the moments that have counted most.
He picked up a hat-trick in their Champions League opener against Viktoria Plzen, but against his old club Bayern Munich, he was held off the scoresheet, unable to find the back of the net despite seven shots which totaled 1.10 xG.
In the first match against Inter in Italy, Lewandowski was blanked again, only finding service for a single 18th minute shot which was saved by the Inter goalkeeper.
In the reverse fixture at the Camp Nou, he scored a pair, but also missed a host of other chances, including a 77th minute header that left the fans begging for more.
How much money did Barcelona spend this summer?
The disappointing finish to their Champions League group stage comes after a massive summer spending spree that pushed the Barcelona books to the brink.
They brought in Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, and Raphinha for a combined €153 million. On top of that, they signed Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso, and Hector Bellerin on free transfers and penned Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto to new contracts.
The financial situation was so strained that Jules Kounde had to wait an extra two weeks after signing before he was able to be registered for La Liga play, and both Kounde and Christensen had clauses in their contracts that allowed them to leave for free if Barcelona were unable to register them before the deadline.
The Champions League elimination is a massive blow to Barcelona not just for the loss of prestige, but also for the loss of valuable income.
The Champions League provides a significant payday for clubs that advance further in the competition, and the lost prize money will require some financial resetting. They could still potentially earn a solid return from a deep run in the Europa League, but it would be much less than a Champions League journey would've brought.
