Barcelona suffers their third defeat in seven games, putting pressure on Xavi.
Barcelona missed out on €2.8 million (£2.4 million) in UEFA prize money after losing their final Champions League group game 3-2 to Royal Antwerp in a shambolic showing that will make them the team many clubs want in Monday’s draw.
They won Group H but finished with a poor performance that, coming three days after a 4-2 loss to Girona, casts serious doubt on Xavi’s long-term future as coach.
Interference from above isn’t helping him; President Joan Laporta and Director of Football Deco are said to have put pressure on him to travel to Belgium with Robert Lewandowski, who he wanted to rest.
The Pole ended up starting the game, and when he was substituted with 20 minutes remaining by 17-year-old Marc Guiu, the youth scored with a header from a free-kick. His goal tied the game at 2-2 and appeared to save the club from defeat, but there was still time for more shoddy defending, as George Ilenikhena scored in injury time to give Royal Antwerp a well-deserved triumph.
Within two minutes, Barcelona had fallen behind. It could have been worse: they could have fallen behind in less than a minute. Hector Fort, a seventeen-year-old right defender, was making his debut, and when he lost possession, Barça were fortunate that the cross flashed harmlessly across the face of the box.
However, Inaki Pena threw the ball out to Oriol Romeu, who was under pressure inside the penalty area, and his touch was just as terrible as the keeper’s. Arthur Vermeeren, eighteen, seized on it and slashed it past Pena. It was the third time this season that Barcelona conceded within two minutes, with two goals coming within 20 seconds.
In addition to youngster Fort, Xavi chose 16-year-old Lamine Yamal in defence. The greater story, however, was that Lewandowski began despite not being a member of Xavi’s team. President Laporta had resigned and recommended the coach to take Lewandowski, as well as Ilkay Gundogan and Ronald Araujo, all of whom Xavi wished to rest.
Barcelona suffers their third defeat in seven games, putting pressure on Xavi.
The coach rationalized the decision to accommodate three players who were not originally scheduled to travel to Belgium by stating that the trip’s agenda had changed. In the first half hour, he was little recognized, and when Barcelona equalized, it was Ferran Torres who scored.
Yamal made it by threading a pass through Antwerp’s retreating defence to find the former Manchester City striker, who scored with one touch past Jean Butez.
Whatever Xavi said at halftime had the opposite effect because Antwerp scored on their first chance only for an offside flag to wipe it out. Jules Kounde completely missed the cross from Antwerp’s right, allowing Vincent Janssen to score past Pena.
Moments later, Sergio Roberto was shown red for a dangerous challenge on Mandela Keita, only for referee Marco Guida to lower the card to yellow after inspecting it on the pitch.
Janssen was unstoppable, and with Antwerp’s next raid against Barça’s frail defence, Xavi’s team crumbled. It was Romeu again, and this time he couldn’t blame it on a bad pass. He had just lost possession on the edge of the area when Alhassan Yusuf sent a fast through ball to Janssen, who made it 2-1.
It was Romeu’s final contribution as Xavi substituted Gundogan, Cancelo, and Pedri for Lopez, Font, and Romeu.
With 20 minutes remaining, Lewandowski was replaced by Guiu. Laporta had presumably wanted him in the team to secure the prize money for winning the game, but for all that he had helped Barcelona do, he could as well have stayed at home.
Guiu scored, but so did Ilenikhena, and Barcelona’s European group campaign ended in defeat. They have already given up seven goals in two games and must win at Valencia this weekend to put the crisis talk to rest.
