Champions League: Robert Lewandowski says Barcelona 'Lacked Cold Blood And Calm' After 3-3 Draw

Robert Lewandowski has said FC Barcelona "lacked cold blood and calm" in their 3-3 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Following the draw at Camp Nou on Wednesday, Barcelona are third in Group C of the 2022-23 Champions League with four points and are on the brink of elimination for a second consecutive season.

"We had so much desire to score that we forgot to defend. We tried to attack with more players so that one of us lost coverage. We scored three goals but we conceded the same. We feel disappointed not to have won. We lacked cold blood and calm," Lewandowski, who rescued Barcelona with a brace against Inter Milan, said in a post-match interview.

Just before the half-time break, Barcelona took lead when Ousmane Dembele scored from a Sergio Roberto assist.

Five minutes into the second half, Nicolo Barella netted an equalizer for Inter Milan before Argentina's Lautaro Martinez put the visitors in the lead by chesting a right-wing cross from Hakan Calhanoglu past Barcelona's shot-stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

A loss on Wednesday would have pushed Barcelona down to Europa League, the second-tier European competition. But Lewandowski scored after missing a header but his deflected effort went past Inter Milan's goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Inter took the lead again as Onana cleared quickly for Martinez, who squared for Robin Gosens to net one in the nets. However, that was not the end for the Catalans as Lewandowski leapt in the air to head past Onana and keep the hosts' hopes alive again.

"If you don't beat Inter at home, you don't deserve to stay in this competition. Last season we didn't have enough to compete, but this season we did. This time it was our mistakes. I'm very disappointed, sad, frustrated... I'm angry. I have to be self-critical, we don't deserve to play in the Champions League. It hurts me, but it's the truth.

"We're depending on another team to go through. They are our mistakes, we have to improve them. That's the reality. The [improvement] process is longer than we thought in Europe. There are other competitions, La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Super Copa. We have to insist, persist, believe. When you draw at home with these fans, with this atmosphere, it is my fault. I am angry. My feeling is that this competition has been, and is still being, cruel with us," Barcelona boss Xavi said after the game at Camp Nou.

Barcelona's upcoming game is a big one as they travel to Santiago Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid in La Liga's El Classico on Sunday.

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have 22 points from eight games in the 2022-23 La Liga but the latter is at the top of the table with a superior goal difference.