MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN’S shocker all-but-confirmed woeful Barcelona’s embarrassing early Champions League exit.
The German, 29, allowed compatriot Leroy Sane’s long-range effort slip through his hands just before half-time in the crunch clash away at Bayern Munich.
Leroy Sane let fly from 30 yards and caught the strike well at the Allianz ArenaCredit: Getty
Marc-Andre ter Stegen allowed the ball to bounce in off his arm in a calamitous errorCredit: Getty
Sane, 25, collected the ball from Kingsley Coman 35 yards from goal with 43 minutes on the clock.
He touched the ball out of his feet and then let fly with his wicked left foot.
But despite catching it sweetly, the ball did not move much in the air and Ter Stegen made a mess of the save as it bounced off his arm and in.
The goal made it 2-0 to Bayern on a night where Barcelona needed a win to guarantee their place in the knockout stages.
Despite holding out for 34 minutes, they were undone for the first goal when Robert Lewandowski showed good feet before clipping across to Thomas Muller.
Muller stretched his neck and looped his header back across goal, going over the line before it was hooked clear – as confirmed by goal-line technology.
Sane should have added a third immediately after half-time but somehow picked out the grounded Ter Stegen rather than the back of the net.
But Jamal Musiala made no mistake just after the hour mark when he turned in from Alphonso Davies’ clever drag-back.
The last time Barca failed to progress to the last 16 was way back in 2000-01.
But events in Benfica, who led 2-0 after 22 minutes, meant they needed to hope for a dramatic comeback by Dynamo Kiev or overturn the deficit in the empty Allianz Arena.
Finishing third would see Barcelona drop into the Europa League where they could face the likes of Borussia Dortmund, West Ham or Leicester at some stage.
More to follow…
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Thomas Muller’s clever header looped back and over the line before it was kicked awayCredit: AP
It was another grim night for Barcelona against the German giantsCredit: Getty
