Inter have a chance to become the first Italian side to ever beat Barcelona twice in a Champions League campaign when they meet at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Club Brugge are on the brink of their first trip to the knockout stages as they play Atletico Madrid.

Mohamed Salah can make history with one more Champions League goal for Liverpool on their trip to Scotland to take on Rangers, and Bayern Munich are one win away from their own record as they try to win an 11th consecutive group stage match.

Tottenham will look to break out of a scoring slump when they host Eintracht Frankfurt, while Porto and Bayer Leverkusen are battling it out in Group B.

With plenty of important matchups, Stats Perform has parsed through the data to preview the eight fixtures on Wednesday and shine a light on some of the more interesting angles.

Barcelona v Inter

Inter's 1-0 victory against Barcelona at San Siro last week was their first triumph over the Spanish giants since April 2010, with Barca collecting four wins and one draw since.

With another win, Inter can become the first Italian side to ever beat Barcelona twice in the same Champions League campaign, although they have lost all five of their away fixtures at Camp Nou – their most losses at any away venue in the competition.

In fact, Camp Nou has not been a happy hunting ground for Italian sides in general, with a 3-0 victory for Juventus in 2020 marking the country's only win at the venue in the last 17 tries (L13 D3).

It is not just Barcelona who have given Inter trouble on away days, with their last away win in the Champions League against a Spanish opponent coming back in 2004 against Valencia.

Working in Inter's favour is road warrior Lautaro Martinez, who has scored six of his seven Champions League goals away from home.

Tottenham v Eintracht Frankfurt

After banking four consecutive wins against Borussia Dortmund between 2017 and 2019, Tottenham are now winless in their past five Champions League fixtures against German sides (D1 L4).

On the other side, Eintracht have enjoyed success when travelling to England in European competition, winning both of their previous two attempts – against Arsenal in 2019, and West Ham in April this year – in the Europa League.

However, this is a clear step up from the Europa League, and after winning their first ever Champions League away game last month (1-0 at Marseille), Frankfurt will be looking to become the only German team to ever win their first two away fixtures in the competition.

The 0-0 draw between these two sides in Frankfurt a week ago was the second consecutive Champions League game where Tottenham have failed to score a goal – also losing 2-0 to Sporting. The last time they went three games in the competition without scoring was back in 2011.

Striker Harry Kane will be key, as he boasts the best minutes-per-goal figure – 20 goals in 27 appearances for a goal every 118 minutes – of any English player with at least 10 goals in the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid v Club Brugge

Not many, if any, would have tipped Club Brugge to top Group B ahead of Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Porto, but they have defeated all three to lead with a perfect nine points and zero goals conceded.

One more win for Brugge would see them progress past the group stage for the first time, in their 10th Champions League campaign. By defeating Atletico, they would become the first Belgian side since Anderlecht in 2000 to win four games in a row in the competition.

Brugge are also one goal away from matching their highest goal tally from a single Champions League campaign, with eight goals in 2020-21.

Surprisingly, Atletico have struggled at home in the Champions League, snapping a streak of eight games without a win (D5 L3) by defeating Porto this season.

Brugge's Ferran Jutgla has registered a goal and an assist in each of his past two Champions League games, and if he can manage to do it again, he will join Robert Lewandowski and Leroy Sane as the only players since 2003-04 to have a goal and an assist in three straight games in the competition.

Bayer Leverkusen v Porto

With Brugge seemingly cruising, Porto, Leverkusen and Atletico are likely fighting it out for one automatic qualification spot, and Leverkusen will feel good about their chances as Porto are winless in their last seven away games against German teams (D2 L5).

After defeating Atletico at home on the second matchday, Leverkusen will be looking to win consecutive Champions League home fixtures in the same campaign for the first time since 2014.

Patrick Schick is Leverkusen's focal point going forward, attempting more than twice as many shots (12) as any of his team-mates this Champions League season, but he is yet to score, having missed a penalty against Porto in last week's 2-0 loss.

Porto's Mehdi Taremi assisted both goals in the reverse fixture, marking the first time he has been involved in multiple goals in a Champions League game, while the sending-off of Jeremie Frimpong gave Leverkusen their 11th red card in their history in the competition, trailing only Bayern Munich (21) amongst German sides.

Other fixtures:

Napoli v Ajax

5 – Napoli beat Ajax 6-1 in the reverse fixture at Johan Cruyff Arena, with the five-goal margin marking the heaviest defeat Ajax have ever suffered in European competition.

10 – With one more win, Napoli would become the fourth Italian club to ever mount a 10-game unbeaten streak in the Champions League, with six wins and three draws from their past nine fixtures.

Rangers v Liverpool

5 – Rangers have failed to score in their past five European games against English competition, including a 2-0 loss against Liverpool last week.

35 – Mohamed Salah has scored 35 Champions League goals for Liverpool – only Didier Droga (36 for Chelsea) and Sergio Aguero (36 for Manchester City) have scored more for a single Premier League club in the competition.

Sporting v Marseille

9 – Marseille have lost their past nine away fixtures in the Champions League, and with one more loss they would become the sixth team to ever post 10 consecutive away defeats in the competition, and the first from France.

18 – It has been 18 years since Sporting lost a home fixture against a French side in European competition, with that loss coming against Sochaux in the 2004 UEFA Cup.

Viktoria Plzen v Bayern Munich

31 – Bayern Munich are undefeated in their past 31 Champions League group stage matches (28W 3D) – which is an all-time high – and with one more win they will set the new record for consecutive group stage wins with 11.

32 – Viktoria Plzen have faced 32 shots on target in their first three games of this Champions League campaign – more than any other side. In the reverse fixture, Bayern had 13 shots on target.

Lautaro Martinez insists he has no regrets over his past failure to join Barcelona, saying he is proud to be considered a key player at Inter ahead of Wednesday's trip to Camp Nou.

Martinez has scored 61 goals in 144 Serie A appearances since joining the Nerazzurri from Racing in 2018, form which has seen him linked with Barcelona on several occasions.

However, the Argentina international signed a new contract with Inter in October 2021 and went on to score a career-high 21 Serie A goals for Simone Inzaghi's men last term.

Speaking ahead of Inter's crucial Champions League trip to Barcelona, Martinez was asked about past speculation and replied: "It's water under the bridge now.

"Today I'm an Inter player. That's what I wanted. I'll give my best for Inter.

"We know that Barca have played with quality, that they will try to go one-on-one, and they will need intensity.

"We had an excellent first half in the first leg, and I think we have to repeat that portion of the game tomorrow. I hope to play well, with a lot of personality, to do what we have prepared."

Inter's legendary former defender and current vice president Javier Zanetti recently said Martinez could be a mainstay at San Siro for many years to come, and the 25-year-old was delighted to receive the backing of a Nerazzurri great.

"For me, it is a pride, he is a symbol of the club," Martinez added. "As I always say, I work to give my best to Inter, to lend a hand to my team-mates, to grow every day. I thank the vice president so much."

Since scoring in four consecutive Champions League games between October and November 2018, Martinez has only found the net twice in his last 18 appearances in the competition.

However, six of Martinez's seven Champions League goals have been scored away from home, and he will likely play a key role as Inter look to avoid defeat at Barcelona for the first time in the competition, losing on all of their five previous visits while scoring just once.

Xavi warned Barcelona they have "no margin for error" in Wednesday's Champions League meeting with Inter, declaring only a win will do for the Blaugrana at Camp Nou.

Hakan Calhanoglu's long-range strike condemned Barca to their second defeat in three Champions League outings last week, leaving them three points adrift of the Nerazzurri in Group C.

That defeat was just the second Barca have suffered in 11 Champions League meetings with Inter (W6 D3), but another reverse would see them eliminated if Bayern Munich avoid defeat to Viktoria Plzen.

The importance of the occasion was not lost on Xavi at his pre-match news conference, where the former midfielder outlined his team's desire for retribution.

"We expect an Inter very similar to the one in Milan. They will form the lower block, the middle block, we have alternatives, we have prepared them," Xavi said.

"It is a final, and we have no margin for error. With the help of the fans, we hope there will be a magical night.

"We must not lower our guard; there is talent, there is a desire for revenge, so we have to give everything so that the victory stays here.

"I would like to be a player tomorrow, I would rather be a player than a coach tomorrow. For me, it is a very good opportunity. We are motivated and hopeful."

Xavi described the decision to deny Pedri a second-half equaliser last week as an "injustice" after Ansu Fati was penalised for handball, but the Blaugrana coach says his team must make the officials' performances immaterial by improving.

"We had a logical outrage after the game, but that's it. Tomorrow it's time to play better," Xavi added. "If we improve the game, maybe we won't talk about the referees."

Inter's tally of 0.18 expected goals (xG) in last week's victory was the lowest of any team to have won a Champions League game this season, and Xavi knows Barcelona must remain patient in the return fixture.

"It's a game to be calm, to know how to position yourself, you don't have to score in minute one. We have to try not to feel the pressure, I always tell them that the pressure is on me," he added.

"You have to be patient, but if we attack like in the second half in Milan, I'm optimistic. We have to be more aggressive. Only three points are worth it for us, we have to be brave."

Meanwhile, Barcelona have been beset by defensive injuries recently, and while Jules Kounde is unlikely to feature on Wednesday, Xavi hopes he will return to face Real Madrid on Sunday.

"We don't count on him except for a surprise, for Sunday we will see. He can make it, but it will depend on his feelings," Xavi added. "I see him well, training hard, positive, my feeling is that he can make it to Sunday."

Simone Inzaghi believes Inter demonstrated "a great desire to win" after Edin Dzeko's double secured a 2-1 victory over Sassuolo.

Inter, who beat Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, got back to winning ways in Serie A after suffering back-to-back defeats, while they also ended a run of three successive away losses.

At the age of 36 years and 205 days, Dzeko passed the 100-goal mark in the Italian top flight, becoming the third-oldest player to do so after Goran Pandev (37y 268d) and Sergio Pellissier (37y 243d).

Inzaghi hailed the character shown by his players, telling DAZN in his post-match interview: "We saw an Inter that had a lot of desire to win and this overcame physical and mental fatigue.

"The team had a great desire to win, like Tuesday [against Barcelona in the Champions League]. Towards the end, despite the tiredness, we grew technically and this allowed us to win the game."

Inzaghi also highlighted the impact of club captain Samir Handanovic who, despite dropping to the bench to facilitate a Serie A debut for Andre Onana, gave a rousing pre-match speech in the dressing room at the MAPEI Stadium.

"Samir is an added value on the pitch and also off," Inzaghi said. "Only in this way can we move forward. But not only Samir, [everyone] made an important contribution.

"[Andre] played as I expected. A goalkeeper of very important quality and, in two months, he has shown that he can play the place with a great champion like Handanovic."

The big games keep coming for the Nerazzurri, who travel to Camp Nou in midweek for their return fixture against Barca.

"Now, we will have Barcelona, it is a delicate and important moment, with a few rotations especially in attack and in midfield," Inzaghi added. "We have to recover our energy."

Simone Inzaghi believes Inter demonstrated "a great desire to win" after Edin Dzeko's double secured a 2-1 victory over Sassuolo.

Inter, who beat Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, got back to winning ways in Serie A after suffering back-to-back defeats, while they also ended a run of three successive away losses.

At the age of 36 years and 205 days, Dzeko passed the 100-goal mark in the Italian top flight, becoming the third-oldest player to do so after Goran Pandev (37y 268d) and Sergio Pellissier (37y 243d).

Inzaghi hailed the character shown by his players, telling DAZN in his post-match interview: "We saw an Inter that had a lot of desire to win and this overcame physical and mental fatigue.

"The team had a great desire to win, like Tuesday [against Barcelona in the Champions League]. Towards the end, despite the tiredness, we grew technically and this allowed us to win the game."

Inzaghi also highlighted the impact of club captain Samir Handanovic who, despite dropping to the bench to facilitate a Serie A debut for Andre Onana, gave a rousing pre-match speech in the dressing room at the MAPEI Stadium.

"Samir is an added value on the pitch and also off," Inzaghi said. "Only in this way can we move forward. But not only Samir, [everyone] made an important contribution.

"[Andre] played as I expected. A goalkeeper of very important quality and, in two months, he has shown that he can play the place with a great champion like Handanovic."

The big games keep coming for the Nerazzurri, who travel to Camp Nou in midweek for their return fixture against Barca.

"Now, we will have Barcelona, it is a delicate and important moment, with a few rotations especially in attack and in midfield," Inzaghi added. "We have to recover our energy."

Edin Dzeko took his tally of Serie A goals past 100 as Inter edged out Sassuolo 2-1 at the MAPEI Stadium on Saturday.

The 36-year-old became the third-oldest player to reach a century in the Italian top light when he broke the deadlock in the 44th minute with only his second strike of the season.

Davide Frattesi's 60th-minute volley brought the hosts level, but Dzeko grabbed the winner and his 101st in the division when he headed home Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross 15 minutes from time.

Simone Inzaghi's side are back to winning ways in Serie A following back-to-back defeats, while also ending a three-game losing streak on the road.

Sassuolo went close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute when Frattesi was denied from tight angle while Armand Lauriente's follow-up was blocked by face of Nicolo Barella, who was subsequently cleared to continue.

A scorer in two of the last three meetings between the sides, Lautaro Martinez squandered a brilliant opportunity to break the deadlock 10 minutes later. Denzel Dumfries capitalised on sloppy possession by the hosts before crossing for the sliding Argentina international, who somehow steered wide from six yards out.

Inter broke through just before half-time as Dumfries flicked on a corner and Dzeko volleyed home from close range.

The hosts equalised on the hour mark when Rogerio's deep cross was met on the volley by Frattesi in the six-yard box.

However, the visitors regained the lead with a quarter of an hour remaining. Moments after Andrea Consigli had produced stunning reflexes to deny Martinez, the goalkeeper was powerless as Dzeko headed home Mkhitaryan's delivery to snatch all three points.

Manchester United are reportedly in the market for defenders in the January window, and are said to have interest in Inter trio Milan Skriniar, Alessandro Bastoni and Denzel Dumfries.

Skriniar is considered a hot commodity at centre-back and was recently the subject of a €60million bid from Paris Saint-Germain. Inter rejected that bid, but with the Slovakian's contract set to expire at the end of the season, this will be their last opportunity to cash in if they believe Skriniar will not sign an extension.

Bastoni, 23, has already banked 16 international caps for Italy and is a rising star in his own right, while Dumfries boasts 37 caps for the Netherlands and is flexible enough to play both right-back and in the middle of defence.

The trio are at the centre of Inter's goals this season, but sitting ninth in the Serie A with four wins and four losses from their first eight games, the potential cash injection from selling one or more could fund significant improvements elsewhere.

TOP STORY – UNITED PLAN PLUNDER OF INTER'S DEFENSIVE STOCKS

InterLive reported United's interest in Skriniar, while Calciomercato believes the Red Devils are preparing an offer for Dumfries, with the idea being to use him at right-back.

Gazzetta dello Sport claims the Old Trafford side will have to contend with Tottenham and Manchester City in their chase for Bastoni, and Calciomercato adds that Chelsea also have interest in the Italian.

United's hunt for defenders is not limited to Serie A, with The Express reporting that they are also seriously looking at Bayer Leverkusen's 21-year-old Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong, stating that manager Erik ten Hag sees him as "the ideal signing" in that position.

ROUND-UP

– Foot Mercato is reporting Chelsea will not stand in the way of Paris Saint-Germain if they come with a reasonable bid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

– According to ESPN, United feel confident Cristiano Ronaldo will stay through the January transfer window due to the lack of interest in the 37-year-old.

– Football Insider claims Arsenal are considering a move for United's Marcus Rashford at the end of this season.

– Newcastle United have met with Vasco da Gama representatives to discuss a potential deal for 18-year-old Andrey Santos, who is expected to cost more than £30m, according to The I.

– Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham both have interest in Chelsea's N'Golo Kante if the 31-year-old does not sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge, per L'Equipe.

Lautaro Martinez's agent Alejandro Camano is not surprised by reports linking the Inter forward with Bayern Munich, insisting the Argentine is one of the world's top 10 players.

Martinez scored 21 goals in 35 league outings as Inter finished as Serie A runners-up last season, and has begun the new campaign with three strikes in eight top-flight appearances.

With Bayern struggling in the Bundesliga after opting against signing a direct replacement for Robert Lewandowski in the recent transfer window, the Bavarian giants have been touted as potential suitors for Martinez.

Camano told TyC Sports such interest does not come as a surprise and revealed the 25-year-old rejected transfer offers in the latest window in order to focus on Inter.

"I wouldn't be surprised because there are always requests, but Lautaro has very clear ideas," he said about the Bayern reports.

"Today he thinks about Inter and the World Cup.

"In the last market there were possibilities to leave for impressive figures, but he has understood that it was better not to change.

"Lautaro is among the top 10 players in the world, and although I have many calls, he has two priorities by the end of the year: Inter and the national team. 

"He is mature, with a nice family to accompany him, with an atmosphere of tranquillity, which is always important. He feels loved by Italians and Argentines.

"He started the year with a beautiful project, with an Inter that was built in a powerful way. The truth is that winning the World Cup would be the icing on the cake for him."

Alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria, Martinez has impressed in a fluid Argentina attack recently, with Lionel Scaloni leading his side to a 35-match unbeaten run.

Argentina are just two games short of matching Italy's record 37-match unbeaten run in international football, and Camano believes they will be serious contenders at the World Cup.

"Not only are Argentina a candidate, but those of us who know Lionel Scaloni know that he has the same leadership mentality he had when he played," he added. 

"Lautaro's hope is the same as the others - they want to make people happy.

"Winning a World Cup is not easy, but the team is ready to reach this goal."

Former Juventus and Inter full-back Kwadwo Asamoah has announced his retirement from playing at the age of 33.

Asamoah, who was capped 74 times by Ghana and appeared at two World Cups, most recently featured for Cagliari at club level in the 2020-21 season.

He confirmed on social media he has officially called time on one chapter of his career and will now become a player agent.

Versatile defender Asamoah started his career at Udinese and made 279 appearances in Serie A – the most for an African player in the competition's history.

Asamoah joined Juve from Udinese in July 2012 and won 13 titles across six seasons with the Turin giants before spending two years with Inter.

Injuries curtailed his time at Cagliari, for whom he made his final appearance in a goalless draw against Milan in May 2021.

Thierry Henry questioned why Barcelona were not awarded a penalty in their contentious 1-0 loss to Inter despite "20 billion cameras" spotting Denzel Dumfries' handball.

Inter claimed a valuable victory at San Siro in Tuesday's Champions League tie through Hakan Calhanoglu's brilliant first-half strike.

But Barca were left furious after a Pedri equaliser was ruled out by VAR for handball against Ansu Fati in the build-up, before having a late penalty call rejected.

A cross towards Fati was cut out by the hand of Dumfries, but Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic and his officials decided against awarding the visitors a stoppage-time penalty.

It is a decision that left Xavi furious, with the Barca boss already on a yellow card for protesting the disallowed goal, and one the Catalans will reportedly formally complain about.

Speaking alongside referee consultant Christina Unkel, who was trying to defend the decision, former Barcelona striker Henry ridiculed VAR's inability to spot the handball.

"[Dumfries] takes the ball away from Ansu Fati," he told CBS. "I usually never say anything about disallowed goals.

"But Christina, do you, the referees, have the right to sometimes say that you were wrong? Are you ever taught to say you were wrong?

"He was wrong, bye. There is nothing to explain. He was wrong. It happens. It happened to me, it happens to many people. He was wrong. 

"The guy in the truck [VAR official] didn't call the ref. I don't know what experience he has, but even my son could have seen there was a hand. 

"He would have seen it. He saw it, he even texted me to say, 'There's a hand'. You've got 20 billion cameras and you can't see it? Please! It happens but it was wrong."

The defeat could be damaging for Barca as they now trail second-placed Inter by three points at the halfway stage in Group C, with leaders Bayern Munich six points better off.

Xavi, who became the first Barca coach to lose his first three away Champions League games, was "outraged" by the display of the match officials.

"First they explain to us that Ansu handled but another team-mate scored, then with the other incident, it is not clear what happened," he said at his post-match press conference.

"It is my opinion. I would have liked to speak to the referee, because he did not blow the whistle. At the moment, I am outraged, it is an injustice and it makes no sense.

"Now we still have three finals left, we have already lost in Munich and we start again. But there is indignation.

"In general, it was a great injustice. The referee should give explanations, instead he goes away and nothing happens. He has to come here and explain."

Barcelona welcome Inter to Camp Nou next week before concluding their group-stage campaign with a home match against Bayern and a trip to bottom side Viktoria Plzen.

Barcelona's injury woes have worsened with defender Andreas Christensen suffering a ligament sprain in his ankle in Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter.

Christensen was substituted out of the game in the 58th minute after struggling for a few minutes with the issue and Barcelona have since confirmed the left ankle injury.

The club said further tests would be carried out on Wednesday to ascertain the full extent of the injury.

Christensen's injury comes ahead of tough games, taking on Celta Vigo in La Liga this weekend, before the reverse fixture with Inter on October 12 and the Clasico against Real Madrid on October 16. The Blaugrana take on Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga after that.

The ex-Chelsea defender was replaced by veteran Gerard Pique, who will likely come into starting calculations.

Christensen has started three LaLiga matches and all three of Barcelona's Champions League matches this term.

The 26-year Denmark international joins Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay, Hector Bellerin, Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo on the sidelines at Camp Nou due to injury.

Barcelona's injury woes have worsened with defender Andreas Christensen suffering a ligament sprain in his ankle in Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter.

Christensen was substituted out of the game in the 58th minute after struggling for a few minutes with the issue and Barcelona have since confirmed the left ankle injury.

The club said further tests would be carried out on Wednesday to ascertain the full extent of the injury.

Christensen's injury comes ahead of tough games, taking on Celta Vigo in La Liga this weekend, before the reverse fixture with Inter on October 12 and the Clasico against Real Madrid on October 16. The Blaugrana take on Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga after that.

The ex-Chelsea defender was replaced by veteran Gerard Pique, who will likely come into starting calculations.

Christensen has started three LaLiga matches and all three of Barcelona's Champions League matches this term.

The 26-year Denmark international joins Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay, Hector Bellerin, Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo on the sidelines at Camp Nou due to injury.

Under pressure Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi is optimistic that Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Barcelona "marks the beginning of something".

The Nerazzurri boss has come under fire following his side's inconsistent start to the season, with Sunday's 2-1 loss to Roma leaving them with 12 points from eight Serie A games. Inter have conceded 13 goals in those eight games too.

Defeat on Tuesday would have left Inter perilously placed in third in their Champions League group, having lost to Bayern Munich 2-0 at home on the opening matchday.

Instead Inzaghi, amid a school of thought he may lose his job if Inter lost to the Blaugrana on Tuesday, is looking for a new beginning for the Nerazzurri.

"We'd been waiting a long time for this, I am happy for the fans and the club, but we’ve achieved nothing yet, it needs to be a wonderful night that marks the beginning of something," Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia.

"I wouldn't say it was unexpected. I said yesterday it was a great opportunity against one of the best teams in the world. We played with aggression, determination, as it’s the only way to beat these opponents."

Inzaghi, who took over after Antonio Conte's split with the club following their 2020-21 Serie A title, lifted two trophies last season, the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, but ultimately fell short in the race for the Scudetto to Milan.

"I continue my work, there are moments that happen and I keep my head held high, because my staff, players and the club have done some great things over the last 15 months," he said.

"I saw a squad that is solid and fights together, otherwise you don’t get a result like this. I am happy, but these lads are the same ones who gave me two trophies just a few months ago and they know more than anyone we now have ground to make up."

Inter forward Lautaro Martinez promised Tuesday's result would usher in charge.

"Tonight is a special evening because it was a victory we needed," the Argentine told Inter TV. "Because of the way it arrived we enjoy it even more.

"We were in a period when the results were not coming, today we needed a win and it has arrived. From here on, things will change."

Goal scorer Hakan Calhanoglu, who netted his first Champions League goal since September 2016, added: "This game can really shake us up and change our season, because we want to build on it.

"As for qualification, we’ve got to stay calm and take it one game at a time."

Xavi was "outraged" as his Barcelona side saw a goal disallowed and an injury-time penalty not given in their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter.

After Hakan Calhanoglu put the Nerazzurri in front in first-half stoppage time at San Siro, Barcelona thought they had levelled when Pedri turned home from close range in the 66th minute.

However, the goal was disallowed after replays showed Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana had tipped Ousmane Dembele's cross onto Ansu Fati's arm before Pedri tapped in.

Inter were again fortunate late on, when VAR initiated a penalty check after the ball appeared to strike Denzel Dumfries' arm in the box. Much to Barcelona's anger, a spot-kick was not awarded.

The hosts held on to claim three points, making Xavi the first Barca coach to lose his first three Champions League away games in charge of the club.

Yet all of his frustration was saved for the officials, with Xavi telling reporters: "I am outraged.

"First they explain to us that Ansu Fati handled but another team-mate scored, then with the other incident, it is not clear what happened.

"It is my opinion, I would have liked to speak to the referee, because he did not blow the whistle. At the moment, I am outraged, it is an injustice and it makes no sense.

"Now we still have three finals left, we have already lost in Munich and we start again. But there is indignation.

"In general, it was a great injustice. I can't hide and say I'm not outraged, it's a great injustice. The referee should give explanations, instead he goes away and nothing happens. He has to come here and explain."

Despite what he perceived as poor refereeing from Slavko Vincic, Xavi acknowledged that officiating alone was not to blame for the defeat.

"We struggled in rhythm, in the circulation of the ball and in the last half hour we played better, we found good areas on the wing," he added.

"We tried, we want to attack and we paid for the first half, we lacked a bit of rhythm. We need to be self-critical, beyond referee decisions.

"The first half was not up to the Champions League. We talked about it at half-time, we needed more rhythm in the exchange of the ball and I think the second half was positive."

A brilliant strike from Hakan Calhanoglu gave Inter a 1-0 Champions League win over Barcelona that moved them into second place in Group C.

The Nerazzurri had already seen a goal disallowed before Calhanoglu fired past Marc-Andre ter Stegen in first-half added time at San Siro on Tuesday.

The LaLiga leaders improved in the second period and saw a goal of their own ruled out when Pedri's tap-in was ruled out for an Ansu Fati handball.

But despite some late pressure and a penalty shout for Barca, under-fire Simone Inzaghi's men held on to earn three points which put them above the Catalan giants.

Inter thought they had a penalty when Joaquin Correa's flick came off Eric Garcia's arm, but after referee Slavko Vincic took a look at the pitchside monitor, Lautaro Martinez was deemed to be marginally offside in the build-up.

Correa then had a goal disallowed, showing great composure to take it around Ter Stegen and finish, only to watch the linesman's flag go up before he could celebrate.

Calhanoglu broke the deadlock for Inter with a superb strike in first-half injury time, taking a touch to control Federico Dimarco's pass before rifling into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards out.

Ousmane Dembele nearly levelled when his drive from a tight angle came back off the left post as Barcelona pressed after the interval.

Xavi's men then had a goal chalked off, as Dembele's cross caused havoc in the Inter box before Pedri applied the finish, but only after Andre Onana had tipped the ball onto Fati's hand.

There were strong claims for a Barcelona penalty in stoppage time when the ball appeared to come off Denzel Dumfries' arm, but no spot-kick was awarded following a VAR check and Inter clung on for three precious points.