Xavi declared Barcelona "do not deserve" to progress in the Champions League after failing to beat Inter at home on Wednesday.
Robert Lewandowski took his tally to 14 goals in all competitions this season – only Erling Haaland has scored more in Europe's top five leagues – with two late equalisers in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Inter.
The Poland striker first levelled after Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez put Inter in front following Ousmane Dembele's opener, before cancelling out Robin Gosens' 89th-minute strike three minutes later.
Lewandowski now has five goals in his first two Champions League games for Barca at Camp Nou, though that meant little to Xavi after Barca were left trailing Inter by three points with just two games to go.
"If you don't beat Inter at home you don't deserve to go on," the Blaugrana head coach told reporters, with Inter needing just one win from their final two games to progress and eliminate Barca.
"Now it doesn't depend on us anymore, we don't deserve to continue in the Champions League. It is a hard blow, very hard. The word would be cruel.
"If one player or the other makes a mistake as a manager, it's my responsibility. I take full responsibility when my players make mistakes.
"We had to stay focused and instead we went on the pitch badly in the second half, but it remains a mistake of the coach.
"In front of such extraordinary supporters, you had to do more. I'm disappointed and this competition is cruel to us."
The stalemate not only signalled the likely end of Barca's Champions League campaign this season, it also marked the first time in six games that Inter have avoided defeat at the Blaugrana in the competition.
Barca veteran Sergio Busquets echoed Xavi's sentiments, bemoaning the Blaugrana for failing to deliver after investing heavily in the last transfer window to bring in the likes of Lewandowski and Raphinha.
"A disappointment. It was a difficult group but we had to aspire to more after all the signings that have been made," Busquets said. "It is not mathematically [impossible] but it is very difficult.
"We have not been as forceful in the areas and that is paid for in the Champions League. It was heads or tails and it went wrong for us in that second half."
While Barca's hopes hang on the unlikely scenario of Inter losing against both Viktoria Plzen and Bayern Munich, who have already progressed, Xavi must now turn his attentions to Sunday's clash with Real Madrid.
"We think of [Real] Madrid [in Sunday's] Clasico tomorrow, it will not be easy to win, but we must think of the championship where we want to continue to be first in the standings.
"The season is long, we have not given the best for our mistakes and this is cruel. We must continue."
Cambridge earn much-needed Wycombe point to keep hopes of beating drop alive
Cambridge’s fight to stave off relegation will go down to the final day of the season after a 1-1 League One draw with Wycombe.
Victory would have seen the U’s safe with a game to spare and they looked on course to achieve that, only for Luke Leahy’s late penalty to deny them.
Cambridge travel to Port Vale on Saturday needing a point to secure their League One place.
Gassan Ahadme headed into the side netting early on before Wycombe chances saw Nigel Lonwijk heading onto the crossbar and Will Mannion save from Jason McCarthy at his near post.
Mannion then did well to tip Kieran Sadlier’s effort from distance onto the post.
Franco Ravizzoli denied Macauley Bonne from point-blank range after 66 minutes before Mannion turned Matt Butcher’s powerful shot wide.
Ahadme broke the deadlock for the hosts after 71 minutes with a thumping header from Liam Bennett’s excellent cross.
But seven minutes from time, Lyle Taylor brought down Lonwijk and Leahy equalised from the spot for a share of the spoils.
Cheltenham take survival fight to final day after beating Peterborough
Cheltenham kept their survival hopes alive going into the final day of the League One season after a 2-0 home win over promotion-chasing Peterborough.
First-half goals from Joe Nuttall and Matty Taylor took Town, in the final relegation place, two points behind Burton.
With their play-off spot already secured, Posh boss Darren Ferguson rested a host of regulars, making seven changes.
And his youthful side were blown away in the first half by the Robins, who knew anything other than a win meant relegation with one game to play.
Nuttall reacted quickest to bundle the ball over the line from close range after goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic could only parry Liam Sercombe’s shot in the 11th minute.
The lead was doubled 10 minutes later when Taylor brought down a ball forward from Lewis Freestone and applied an expert finish.
Taylor crashed a shot against the post in the 32nd minute after Liam Kinsella’s pass and Elliott Bonds forced Bilokapic into a smart save two minutes later.
Posh threatened through Ricky-Jade Jones before half-time, but they were second best and Taylor and Bonds both forced Bilokapic into evasive action in the second half.
At the other end, Luke Southwood parried Jonson Clarke-Harris’ shot in the 58th minute and kept out a late header from the centre forward.
Cheltenham must beat Stevenage on Saturday and hope that Burton fail to win at Fleetwood and or Cambridge lose to Port Vale, if they are to escape the drop.
Colchester still in relegation danger as Doncaster march on towards play-offs
Doncaster recorded a 10th successive victory, 4-1 at lowly Colchester, to move into the League Two play-off places.
Colchester took a ninth-minute lead through Jayden Fevrier, who converted at the far post after Tom Hopper had got behind the Doncaster defence and picked him out.
But Doncaster equalised five minutes later when Luke Molyneux collected Jamie Sterry’s short free-kick and unleashed a low left-foot shot from 25 yards that sailed into the far corner.
Rovers completed a rapid turnaround in the 22nd minute through Harrison Biggins, who swept home from close range after Molyneux had beaten Ellis Iandolo and crossed into the area.
Doncaster extended their lead in the 76th minute when Tom Anderson squeezed a shot past Sam Hornby and in at the near post after Hakeeb Adelakun had picked him out from another short free-kick.
And Rovers sealed their victory in the 85th minute when Joe Ironside tapped in from close range after James Maxwell’s shot had been tipped onto a post by Hornby.
The result prevented Colchester securing their survival, ensuring they go into the final fixtures three points ahead of Sutton and now only four better on goal difference.
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