Xavi demands ref explain why Barca were denied injury-time penalty in loss

XAVI cried “this is an injustice” after Barcelona’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan last night.

The LaLiga leaders fell to third in their Champions League group following their narrow defeat at San Siro.

Hakan Calhanoglu’s low strike into bottom corner on the stroke of half-time was enough to see Simone Inzaghi’s side grab all three points.

Xavi, 42, was left raging by a pair of crucial VAR decisions late on.

First, a Pedri equaliser was ruled out following an inadvertent Ansu Fati handball in the build-up – Barca arguing that goalkeeper Andre Onana touched the ball onto the winger from such close range – with their manager booked for his protestations.

Then even more controversially, Inter full-back Denzel Dumfries appeared to get away with clearly handling in the box in the closing stages.

After his side’s loss, which leaves them with three points after three Group C matches, Xavi raged: “I’m p***ed off by the situation we had to live through.

“It is an injustice, I already said yesterday that the referees would have to speak because I do not understand anything.

“He didn’t want to give me explanations at the end of the game.”

After getting criticisms of Slovenian whistler Slavko Vincic off his chest, Xavi added: “We now have three finals to play.

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“We are in an uncomfortable position. They have six points, we have three, and Bayern have nine.

“We had our chances but we couldn’t take them and they scored with a shot from distance – we knew that was one of their strengths.”

Barcelona host Inter in Catalonia next week in a crunch rematch – before welcoming Bayern Munich on October 26.

They will then round off their Group C campaign with a trip to Viktoria Plzen a week later, hoping to still be in the qualification mix.

Meanwhile, they remain unbeaten in LaLiga with six wins and a draw from their opening seven matches.

On October 16 they face rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Carlo Ancelotti’s men also having enjoyed an undefeated start.