Barça close to disaster against Inter as Europa League awaits

Playing something akin to the last 32 of the Europa League or the qualifying round for third place in the Champions League group has a prize of 500,000 euros. Playing in the last 16 of the Champions League is 9.6 million euros to the Europa League's 1.1 million euros; the quarter-finals 10.6 million euros to the Europa League's 1.5 million euros; the semi-finals 12.5 million euros to the Europa League's 2.4 million euros; and the final 15.5 million euros to the Europa League's 4.5 million euros.

That is Barcelona's reality for the second season in a row. It leaves the big prizes of the Champions League for the handouts of the Europa League, opponents with whom it does not make money and uncomfortable trips around Europe. The levers on which the season was supposed to rest have been broken. 
 

Barça's defeat in the Champions League has exposed Laporta's project with Xavi Hernández as the coach he never wanted and who he had to force out of Qatar to act as a shield and encourage the troops. 

Eight goals scored and seven conceded, four points and the abyss if Inter beat Plzen, bottom of the group, in the next Champions League game. That reality would leave the Barça of Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dembelé, De Jong, Eric García, Marcos Alonso, Kessie and Ferran Torres playing in the ruinous Europa League and at the gates of a new drama if they fail to win that title. 

The 3-3 draw with Inter Milan left Piqué and Busquets under the spotlight. The centre-back has been out of Barça for some time now, although making it official would be a financial problem for the club. His head is in his personal problems and in his business. Xavi singled him out directly for the first goal against Inter where he was overconfident considering that he was paired with another centre-back who is not performing at the required level, Eric García. 

Busquets is also playing his last minutes as a blaugrana. Another veteran, singled out by Laporta for not wanting to lower his salary, no longer rules the midfield as well as Gavi could do in his place. 

Curiously, Lewandowski and Dembelé were the ones who stepped up to the plate and justified last summer's signings with Barça's three goals. Even the French winger could have been sent off after a harsh tackle.

Inter's 3-2 win culminated the Barça debacle. A long pass from Onana to Lautaro Martinez who broke free on one flank and set up Gosens at the far post. Three passes for 100 metres in the 89th minute. 

While Barça await the scythe of the Europa League, Atletico Madrid continue their trek through the desert for another season. The Brujas ultras destroyed the Plaza Mayor in Madrid and in the middle of the afternoon decided to get on the Metro and watch the game against Atleti. Such is the life of these fanatics of violence who use football as an excuse. 

There they met up with another equally impulsive crowd, but at least they didn't break anything. If anything, a few racist shouts, insults to their own players and coercion of the management. 

Atletico played one of their best games of the season, but the 0-0 draw puts them in the predicament of having to win two games if they are to reach the last 16 rather than join Barca in the Europa League. 

The tension in the dressing room was demonstrated when Simeone once again slammed the team's delegate, former player Pedro Pablo Matesanz, with the sole aim of getting him to go and put pressure on the referee in a VAR review. These are gestures that he has already repeated on other occasions because his way of dealing with a match is not the same. 

The other point of friction for Simeone was with Joao Felix, the Portuguese does not offer anything to the Argentine and against Brugge he spent 35 minutes warming up on the sidelines. The Portuguese was called twice to come on, but something happened and he was sent back to the warm-up area. When it looked like he was going to come on in the 80th minute, Witsel took his place. Simeone's side need to beat Leverkusen and Porto to stay in the Champions League and not call it a day in October. The season will be long and without an incentive such as European matches the tension can get too high. 

The day ended with another great game from Napoli, the best team in Europe so far, and their 4-2 thrashing of Ajax which puts them in the last 16 alongside Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Brugge and Manchester City.