Robert Lewandowski keeps Barcelona barely alive in Champions League

BARCELONA, Spain: Barcelona couldn’t get the victory they needed at home against Inter Milan, and for the second season in a row the Catalan club likely won’t make it to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Robert Lewandowski scored in stoppage time to help Barcelona salvage a 3-3 draw in a thrilling back-and-forth match against Inter on Wednesday, but the result did little to help Barça’s chances of advancing.

“This Champions League has been cruel for us,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said. “Now it’s very difficult to advance. It’s a shame.”

Lewandowski kept the team alive — for now at least — with a last-gasp header after the visitors had taken a 3-2 lead with a goal from Robin Gosens in the 89th. A loss would have meant certain elimination for Barcelona for a second consecutive season in the group stage.

Barcelona are third in Group C with four points, three behind second-place Inter. Bayern Munich, which beat Viktoria Plzen 4-2 for its fourth victory in a row, has advanced with 12 points.

Inter leave Barcelona in full control of its fate ahead of matches against last-place Plzen in Italy and then at Bayern Munich. A win against Plzen — which has lost all of its four matches in the competition this season — will be enough for the Italian side to advance.

“We played a great match against an opponent of great value,” Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi said. “We created a lot, suffering all together. We could have closed the group with two games to spare. We hope to give the fans this satisfaction against Viktoria Plzen.”

Barcelona host Bayern before visiting Plzen. Barcelona need to win their last two matches and hope Inter do not add more than two points.

“It’s disappointing,” Barcelona captain Sergio