Robert Lewandowski heroics save Barcelona in draw with Inter Milan

Robert Lewandowski rescued Barcelona's Champions League knockout round hopes with two late goals to earn his side a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night.

Xavi Hernandez's Barca needed at least a draw to have a chance to avoid missing the knockout rounds for the second year in a row and the Poland international delivered the goods near the end of a dramatic second half.

Barcelona are still facing elimination at the group stage of the competition, but Lewandowski's stoppage-time equaliser gave them a slim chance of progressing with two games left.

Inter need a home win over Viktoria Plzen next week to join Bayern Munich in the last 16.

"It's bad, I think this Champions League is being very cruel to us," Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez told Movistar Plus. "Now it is out of our hands. What is left for us is to turn our attention quickly to Sunday's El Clasico [against Real Madrid], bounce back and focus on LaLiga because the Champions League became very difficult and complicated for us."

Edin Dzeko was denied by the crossbar for Inter's opener just after 15 minutes as the visitors looked to carry the momentum of their 1-0 win over Barca at the San Siro last Tuesday into the reverse fixture.

Barca, who pressed hard for their first, took a deserved lead into the break when Ousmane Dembele shot past Andre Onana from Sergi Roberto's pass across the six-yard box just before half-time.

Inter drew level early in the second half through Nicolo Barella, who pounced on a cross from Alessandro Bastoni and finished past Marc-Andre ter Stegen from close range.

Lautaro Martinez fired Simone Inzagh's side into the lead shortly past the hour mark with a fine individual effort, settling Hakan Calhanoglu's long ball over the top of the defence, beating his marker and lashing home a low shot to pile more pressure on Barca.

Summer-signing Lewandowski did what he was brought in to do in the 82nd minute as his header from a cross into the area came back to him off an Inter defender and he shot past Onana with a second effort to make it 2-2.

But Inter's Robin Gosens put Inter back in the lead minutes later with a tidy finish on the counter before Lewandowski headed in for his brace in second.

"It was too many mistakes, their first goal was a clear mistake by our defence, we let them have too many chances. Soccer is a game of mistakes and we can't afford those in situations like this," Xavi said.

"This is the Champions League and you pay a high price for each error you make. You need to win, to defend well, to score. We needed to play the entire game like we did in the first half. That intensity. Now it's hard because we are not in control anymore."

Barca are third in the Group C standings on four points, three behind Inter and eight adrift of Bayern, who clinched a spot in the knockout rounds with a win over Victoria Plzen on Wednesday.

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Barcelona vs. Inter Milan result: Barcelona on the Champions League brink after six-goal thriller

Barcelona find themselves on the edge of another UEFA Champions League group stage exit after drawing 3-3 at home to Group C rivals Inter Milan.

The hosts capitulated in the second half, despite two late goals from Robert Lewandowski, as they were unable to find a crucial winner in Catalonia.

Ousmane Dembele's first-half goal appeared to set Xavi's side on the road to victory, but Inter rallied superbly after the restart, with goals from Nicolo Barella, and former Barcelona transfer target Lautaro Martinez.

Lewandowski's two equalisers - either side of a calm finish from Robin Gosens - saved Barcelona from defeat on the night, but they will be eliminated, if Inter win either of their final two group games.

Barcelona's veterans brutally exposed 

The inquest into Barcelona's demise at Camp Nou is likely to include some firm home truths for their experienced stars.

Xavi opted to stick with Gerard Pique in central defence, with skipper Sergio Busquets anchoring the midfield, on the night.

Pique was caught out by Nicolo Barella for Inter's first equaliser, with Busquets too slow in possession in the build up to Lautaro Martinez's goal.

Busquets was hooked after that, with Pique scraping through the 90 minutes, and the duo appear to be entering their final days as Barcelona players.

Neither is short of big game nous and experience, but they were exposed in transition constantly by Inter, and the sensation is growing that the end of 2022/23 will be their final act at the Camp Nou.

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Lewandowski papers over the La Blaugrana Champions League cracks

On most Champions League nights, a late brace from Lewandowski would have been enough to secure a win for Barcelona, but his heroics were overshadowed at full-time.

Despite missing chances he would have expected to score before the break, he showed a razor-sharp instinct to keep the hosts in the game, as their back-line fell apart.

The former Bayern Munich star has scored five of Barcelona's eight Champions League goals so far this season, and without him, they would already be dead and buried in Group C.

Martinez shows Barcelona what they missed out on

Lewandowski's performance showed why Barcelona pushed so hard for him this summer, but his opposite number, Argentina international Martinez, showed why Barcelona wanted him back in 2021.

Despite the Catalans' interest, Inter held firm on Martinez, and rejected a possible exit from the San Siro.

Without outshining Lewandowski, his link-up play caused headaches for Barcelona all night, to confidently slot past Marc ter Stegen, and lay on a late assist for Gosens.

Barcelona's over-reliance on Lewandowski is plain to see and the presence of a reliable back-up was shown clearly by Martinez's solid display,

Barcelona vs. Inter Milan as-it-happened

FULL-TIME: BARCELONA 3 INTER MILAN 3.........INZAGHI SENT OFF!

AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT AT THE CAMP NOU!

Barcelona's Champions League knockout hopes are hanging by a thread as they could only manage a 3-3 draw at home to Inter Milan.

Five second-half goals saw the contest swing from end to end at the Camp Nou and despite Lewandowski's two goals, the Catalans are on the verge of Champions League group stage elimination for the second season in a row.

90+5 Mins: INTER ALMOST WIN IT!

Martinez slides Asllani through in behind but Ter Stegen rescues Barcelona at the death!!!!

90+3 Mins: LEWANDOWSKI DOES IT AGAIN!

LEWAN-GOAL-SKI SAVES BARCELONA............AGAIN.

Garcia's hoisted cross causes problems for Onana and Lewandowski bravely heads home to make it 3-3!!!

SIX MINUTES ADDED ON!!!

89 Mins: INTER..........ARE..........BACK..........IN......FRONT!!!

Barcelona are AGAIN torn to pieces by Inter as Onana's long ball frees Martinez in behind a static Barca defence and his ball across the box is buried by Gosens!!!

85 Mins: Francesco Acerbi replaces Bastoni - Can either side find a winner?

81 Mins: LEWANDOWSKI EQUALISES!!!!!

Chance after chance for the Polish veteran and he finally makes it count as de Vrij fails to clear his lines and he hammers past Onana.

Final change from Xavi as Ferran Torres comes on for Gavi, Mkhitaryan is booked for a foul on de Jong, and Kristjan Asllani replaces goal scorer Barella.

78 Mins: Another cross into the box and another Lewandowski header flies off target. Dembele goes in late on Darmian and collects a booking...as the clock ticks down for Barcelona.

75 Mins: Lewandowski angles a header just over the bar from a corner, as Barcelona keep on pushing, and Inzaghi brings on Raoul Bellanova and Robin Gosens for Dzeko and Calhanoglu.

74 Mins: More changes from Xavi as Alexa Balde and Franck Kessie come for Roberto and Marcos Alonso.

70 Mins: Lewandowski has the ball in the net for Barcelona...but the offside flag is UP.

66 Mins: Double change from Xavi - Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati ON with Raphinha and Busquets OFF. Matteo Darmian comes on for Federico Dimarco for the visitors.