Getty Xavi in action against Inter.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez could not hide his frustration after seeing his team beaten 1-0 by Serie A side Inter in the group stages of the Champions League on Tuesday, October 4.
The defeat is Barcelona’s second in three games in Europe’s top competition this season and means Xavi’s side face a tall order now progressing to the knockout stages.
Barcelona saw an equalizer by Pedri ruled out in the second half for a handball and were also denied a penalty in the closing stages when Inter defender Denzel Dumfries also appeared to handle the ball.
Em câmera lenta.
Xavi made it clear after the final whistle he was not at all happy with the decisions during the game, as reported by Marca.
“I’m pissed off because it’s an injustice that we’ve had to experience. We’ve suffered a very important defeat. We have three finals left in a very uncomfortable situation. The referee should speak. For me it’s a very clear hand,” he said. “The referee is very important in this sport and he should go out and give explanations. He didn’t want to give them to me. He gave me explanations of the plays he had cancelled, but I asked him about the last one. This is the Champions League and we should compete better. We’ve tried and we’ve generated more chances than them, but they defend very well. I’m worried about the defeat, it’s a complex situation and we have three finals left.”
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Sergi Robero Reacts To Defeat
Barcelona defender Sergi Roberto also reacted to the defeat and made it clear he was baffled by some of the decisions made during the game. The right-back also warned Inter his side are already looking forward to the next game, as reported by Marca.
“I don’t understand it. They don’t even know the rules of the hands. They call us for a hand and then they don’t signal the same play. It’s an opportunity that we lose here but we have another game in a week at the Camp Nou,” he said. “We knew that by winning here and then at home we had the classification done. It hasn’t been like that but I think that at the Camp Nou we’re going to pull it off.”
Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored the only goal of the game in first-half stoppage time to get the Nerazzurri back to winning ways after two straight defeats in Serie A.
Barcelona And Inter To Meet Again
Barcelona and Inter will meet again next week in the return fixture at the Camp Nou. It’s a game the Catalan giants really must get something out of if they are to have any chance of progressing through the group.
Xavi’s side will head into the match in third place in Group C, three points behind Inter and already six off leaders Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions cemented top spot on Tuesday with an emphatic 5-0 win over Viktoria Plzen.
All of which makes for a crucial spell for Barcelona. The Catalans take on Celta in La Liga on Sunday before hosting Inter. Xavi’s side then head to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid after the Champions League match.
READ NEXT: Barcelona’s ‘Mini Messi’ Beats Ansu Fati Scoring Record