Barcelona’s 17-year streak of advancing to the Champions League knockout rounds each season ended on Wednesday with a gaggle stage exit that failed to finish on time resulting from ice in Italy.
Barcelona suffered a 3-0 loss at Bayern Munich that threw the five-time European champions right into a disappointing – and deservedly – third place in Group E.
“We start a new era, from scratch, from here,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, who joined a membership in disaster final month, instructed broadcaster DAZN.
Bayern’s straight-six win started in September with a 3-0 win on the Camp Nou, and a repeat end result at residence noticed Benfica rise above Barcelona – and in Monday’s round-of-16 – to Dynamo Kiev 2 By defeating -0.
Only 15 of the 16-team lineup had been revealed within the knockout stage on Wednesday night time.
Who will get the week’s assist? I
️ say maria
️ Bernardeschi
️ limer
️ icon#UClassists , @lays_football , #UCL pic.twitter.com/Oti7ag31fO— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 8, 2021
The Atlanta-Villarreal recreation to determine who could be the runner-up in Group F was postponed by heavy snow within the northern Italian metropolis of Bergamo. Manchester United had already gained the group earlier than a 1-1 draw on Wednesday with the Young Boys ending final at Old Trafford.
UEFA later requested Atalanta and Villarreal to strive once more on Thursday night.
A grim night for the Spanish sides noticed Sevilla take part to remove Barcelona, failing to advance past the large open Group G, the place all 4 groups kicked off in competition.
Lille, the bottom ranked group by UEFA within the group stage, defeated Wolfsburg 3–1 in Germany to take the highest spot. Canadian ahead Jonathan David scored the second purpose for Lillee. Salzburg entered the Round of 16 as runners-up after beating Sevilla 1–0. The comfort for third-placed Sevilla is a swap to the second-tier Europa League the place it’s a six-time title holder.
Defending champions Chelsea and Juventus had already made it to the spherical of 16 from Group H however had been to complete first within the group on Wednesday.
Zenith 3-3 Chelsea
️0⃣2⃣ Werner
️3⃣8⃣ Claudinho
️4⃣1⃣ immediately
️6⃣2⃣ Lukaku
️8⃣5⃣ Werner
️9⃣4⃣ Ozdoevget pleasure from it? I#UCL pic.twitter.com/kGjufzIq4c
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 8, 2021
Chelsea had been shocked deep into stoppage time for a 3-3 attract Russia by Zenit St Petersburg’s Leveller, which allowed Juventus to take the highest spot with a 1-0 win at residence to Malmö.
Juventus will probably be within the pot of seeded groups together with the opposite group winners in Monday’s draw, the place the unseeded pot now consists of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona recession
All 17 years of his first-team profession at Barcelona earlier than Lionel Messi left for PSG, the membership made its approach among the many elite within the February 16 spherical. He gained 4 Champions League titles in that period.
The membership’s first season since Messi, now within the Europa League playoffs, is marked by a group-stage marketing campaign, which noticed extra losses (three) than objectives (two).
The decline additionally extends to the house and membership’s funds. A present seventh-place finisher in La Liga is exterior the European qualification locations and years of massive spending on wages imply there is no such thing as a fast repair for the prodigal son who returned to educate the membership final month.
“We need to work hard, many things that put Barcelona in this position. But this is our reality. I can’t say anything more,” mentioned Xavi.
This needs to be a turning level.
– zavik pic.twitter.com/ZAXhucO7dD
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 8, 2021
Bayern Soaring
Bayern gained their group with a 22-goal tally that was greater than double that of the opposite three groups mixed.
Goals by Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala in opposition to Barcelona ensured Bayern a match in opposition to Ajax and Liverpool, who scored six consecutive wins on Tuesday.
Bayern had been joined by Salzburg to play in empty stadiums as in 2020 in European soccer throughout the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salzburg’s first entry within the knockout spherical comes after a number of years as junior accomplice for Red Bull affiliate Leipzig, who completed third of their group on Tuesday and can transfer into the Europa League.
Round Of-16 Draw
The round-of-16 draw takes place on Monday at 1100 GMT at UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
There are restrictions within the draw. Teams which have already performed one another within the group stage and groups from the identical nation can’t be drawn collectively.
Pot 1 has Manchester City, Liverpool, Ajax, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Lille and Juventus.
In Pot 2 are Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, Inter Milan, Benfica, Atalanta or Villarreal, Salzburg and Chelsea.
Salzburg in final 16 for the primary time#UCL pic.twitter.com/nLDUiGD4hF
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 8, 2021
The first leg video games are performed over two weeks from February 15–23 and the return video games from March 8–16.
Eight groups positioned third in Champions League teams superior to the Europa League knockout playoffs in February in separate attracts on Monday. They will play a two-stage sequence in opposition to the runners-up within the Europa League teams, with the winners advancing to the spherical of 16 of the competitors in March.
The third place groups are Leipzig, Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Sheriff, Barcelona, Atalanta or Villarreal, Sevilla and Zenit Saint Petersburg.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
