Royal Antwerp 3-2 Barcelona: Barca slump to third defeat in seven games as pressure mounts on Xavi despite finishing top of their group… with Belgian side scoring in stoppage time to claim first Champions League win

Troubled Barcelona missed out on €2.8m (£2.4m) in UEFA prize money by losing their final Champions League group stage game 3-2 to Antwerp with the kind of shambolic performance that will make them the team that many teams want to see in Monday’s draw. .

They top Group H but finished with a dismal performance that – three days after a 4-2 defeat to Girona – leaves huge doubts over Xavi’s long-term future as manager.

Intervention from above did not help him: it is believed that President Joan Laporta and the director of Football Deco pressured him to travel to Belgium with Robert Lewandowski, whom he wanted to rest.

The Pole ended up starting the game and when he was replaced by 17-year-old Marc Guiu with 20 minutes left, the teenager scored with a header from a free-kick. His goal made it 2-2 and looked like saving the team from defeat, but there was still time for more terrible defending and George Ilenichena scored in stoppage time to give Royal Antwerp a deserved victory.

Barcelona were two minutes behind. It could have been worse – they could have fallen behind by as much as one minute. Seventeen-year-old Hector Fort made his debut at right-back and when he lost possession, Barça were fortunate to have the cross fly harmlessly across the penalty area.

Substitute Georgi Ilenikhena scored in stoppage time to seal Royal Antwerp’s famous victory.

Barcelona striker Marc Giu thought he had saved the tie with an equalizer in the 91st minute.

Arthur Vermeeren gave the Belgian team the lead in the 90th second on Wednesday night.

But seconds later Inaki Pena passed the ball to Oriol Romeu, who was under pressure in the box and his touch was as bad as the goalkeeper’s pass. Eighteen-year-old Arthur Vermeeren pounced on him and rushed past Pena. It was the third time this season that Barcelona conceded in two minutes – twice in the championship they conceded in 20 seconds.

In addition to teenager Fort in defence, Xavi selected 16-year-old Lamin Yamal. But the bigger news was that Lewandowski started despite not initially being in Xavi’s team. President Laporta resigned and advised the coach to take Lewandowski, as well as Ilkay Gundogan and Ronald Araujo, whom Xavi also wanted to rest.

The coach explained the decision to include three players who were not originally going to travel to Belgium by saying that the travel itinerary had changed. He was barely noticed in the first half hour, and when Barcelona equalized, Ferran Torres scored.

Yamal passed through the lines of Antwerp’s retreating defense and found the former Manchester City striker, who took one touch before firing past Jean Boutez.

Whatever Xavi said at half-time backfired as Antwerp scored with their first chance but a raised offside flag negated the decision. Jules Kounde completely missed a cross from Antwerp’s right, allowing Vincent Janssen to fire past Pena.

There was another pause moments later when Sergio Roberto was shown red for a reckless challenge on Mandela Keita, but referee Marco Guida downgraded the card to yellow after checking it on the pitch side.

Striker Ferran Torres equalized for Barcelona in the 35th minute of the match against Antwerp.

Vincent Janssen put the hosts ahead for the second time in the 56th minute.

Janssen could not be denied his goal, and after Antwerp’s next attack on Barca’s fragile defense, Xavi’s team began to crack. It was Romeu again, and this time he couldn’t point to the poor pass. He just lost the ball on the edge of the box and when Alhassan Youssef quickly crossed the ball to Janssen, he made it 2-1.

This was practically Romeu’s last contribution as Xavi replaced Gundogan, Cancelo and Pedri in place of Lopez, Font and Romeu.

20 minutes before the end of the match, Lewandowski was sent off and replaced by Guiu. Presumably Laporta wanted him in the team to get the prize money for winning the game, but for all he managed to help Barcelona achieve, he might as well have stayed at home.

Giu scored, but so did Ilenichena, and so Barcelona ended their European group campaign with defeat. They have now conceded seven goals in two games and must win at Valencia this weekend to quell talk of a crisis.