Barcelona seeks rebound in Lewandowski's first 'clásico'

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — With its Champions League hopes all but dashed, Barcelona knows that the Spanish league title has become a must-win to justify the club’s massive financial gamble.

Barcelona, which next plays at Real Madrid in the “clásico” on Sunday, will need a small miracle to avoid elimination from the group stage of the Champions League for the second straight year after winning only one of its four games so far. A 3-3 draw at home against Inter Milan on Wednesday left it on the verge of another unwanted ticket to the Europa League.

That was not in the plans when Barcelona mortgaged its future by selling off part of its television rights and other assets to be able to invest in new players. Club president Joan Laporta argued that the risk was worth getting the team back to winning major titles and past the painful exit of Lionel Messi.

Barcelona's slim hopes of advancing in the Champions League hangs on winning its two remaining group matches and Inter failing to take three points against Viktoria Plzen and group winner Bayern Munich.

Robert Lewandowski, at least, has proven to be worth the money. The 34-year-old Poland striker has scored 14 goals in 12 games in all competitions since leaving Bayern; he leads the Spanish league with eight goals; and he shares the scoring lead in the Champions League with Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah with five goals each. Lewandowski's two goals against Inter this week saved Barcelona from a loss.

"After a bad game you have to face up to reality in the best way possible, show that you can play well and win,” Lewandowski told DAZN television ahead of his first "clásico” against Real Madrid. “It is a tough moment but we know that we have the opportunity in the ‘clásico’ to