Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez laments ‘mistakes that can’t be allowed at the top level of football’

Having led 1-0 Barcelona found themselves down 2-1 and 3-2 before Robert Lewandowski’s late header rescued a draw for the team.

The result means that Barcelona have to win both of their last two matches and hope that Inter Milan drop points twice to have a chance of making it through to the last 16.

“This Champions League is being cruel to us…” Xavi said after the game. “But in the second half we made a lot of mistakes. The first goal was a clear mistake by the defensive line, and we [within the dressing room] had talked about it.

“Football is a game of mistakes and it’s about minimizing them, today we have made very serious mistakes that have cost us.

“People saw that we played with our heart, but we can’t fail. In Munich it was our effectiveness, in Milan it was other circumstances and today it was our mistakes. The Champions League is very complicated, we have to change our mindset for La Liga.

“We have to think about El Clásico, the Champions League has become complicated. It’s a shame.”

The manager later added in his press conference that “If you don’t beat Inter at home, you don’t deserve to stay in this competition.

“The first half was excellent, but the second half was not, we made a lot of mistakes. There are mistakes that can’t be allowed at the top level of football.”

He also said: “When the players fail, I take full responsibility.”

As Xavi alluded to the tough run is not over for Barcelona as they travel to the Spanish capital on Sunday to face Real Madrid in El Clasico.

The two rivals are level on points at the top of La Liga and after the result against Inter the league becomes even more important for Barca.