Captain Andres Iniesta, right, conceded Barcelona did not adapt to the game on Tuesday night. Riccardo Antimani / EPA
Captain Andres Iniesta, right, conceded Barcelona did not adapt to the game on Tuesday night. Riccardo Antimani / EPA
Captain Andres Iniesta, right, conceded Barcelona did not adapt to the game on Tuesday night. Riccardo Antimani / EPA
Captain Andres Iniesta, right, conceded Barcelona did not adapt to the game on Tuesday night. Riccardo Antimani / EPA

Andres Iniesta expresses 'pain' after Barcelona suffer shock Uefa Champions League exit at hands of Roma


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Barcelona skipper Andres Iniesta conceded his crushing disappointment after the Catalans were sent packing from the Uefa Champions League by Roma in sensational fashion on Tuesday.

"It is very painful because nobody expected it with the lead we had," Iniesta told Catalunya TV.

"When you do things badly, you commit lots of mistakes and we didn't adapt to the game. It is a massive disappointment given the season we had been having."

Barcelona went to Rome leading 4-1 after the first leg of their quarter-final tie, but a 3-0 loss at the Stadio Olimpico condemned the five-time European champions to a defeat on away goals.

It is their third consecutive exit from the competition in the last eight.

"We always try to give the maximum but we are knocked out and now feel everyone's pain. We had high hopes this season and it has escaped us again," added the 33-year-old player, who also acknowledged that the game could have been his last in the competition for Barca amid uncertainty about his future beyond this season.

Barcelona fell behind to an Edin Dzeko goal inside six minutes with Daniele de Rossi netting a 58th-minute penalty before Kostas Manolas headed in the crucial goal eight minutes from the end.

The defeat came with Barca on course to win the Primera Liga and with a Copa del Rey final against Sevilla approaching later this month.

They are unbeaten in the Primera Liga and had only previously lost once all season, to Espanyol in the Copa del Rey.

"I would be lying if I told you we can take something positive from this," midfielder Sergio Busquets told beIN SPORTS.  "It is a very sad way to fall after the result we had. They were superior to us in all aspects."

Meanwhile, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu apologised to the club's supporters.

"The dream for all of us was to reach the semis and I'm very sorry to all the Barcelona fans in the world," he told Catalunya TV.

  • Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates with his teammates after scoring their second goal. Nigel Roddis / EPA
    Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates with his teammates after scoring their second goal. Nigel Roddis / EPA
  • Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his team's opening goal. Paul Ellis / AFP
    Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his team's opening goal. Paul Ellis / AFP
  • Liverpool's Mohamed Salah dribbles around Manchester City goalkepper Ederson to score his side's first goal. Nigel Roddis / EPA
    Liverpool's Mohamed Salah dribbles around Manchester City goalkepper Ederson to score his side's first goal. Nigel Roddis / EPA
  • Manchester City's Sergio Aguero shows his disappointment. Anthony Devlin / AFP
    Manchester City's Sergio Aguero shows his disappointment. Anthony Devlin / AFP
  • A dejected Pep Guardiola is seen in the stands after he had been sent off the pitch. Nigel Roddis / EPA
    A dejected Pep Guardiola is seen in the stands after he had been sent off the pitch. Nigel Roddis / EPA
  • Pep Guardiola gestures as he walks with his players towards the tunnel at half time. Anthony Devlin / AFP
    Pep Guardiola gestures as he walks with his players towards the tunnel at half time. Anthony Devlin / AFP
  • Liverpool's Roberto Firmino in action with Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte. Andrew Yates / Reuters
    Liverpool's Roberto Firmino in action with Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte. Andrew Yates / Reuters
  • Liverpool's Roberto Firmino of Liverpool battles for posession with Manchester City's Bernardo Silva. Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
    Liverpool's Roberto Firmino of Liverpool battles for posession with Manchester City's Bernardo Silva. Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
  • Manchester City's Leroy Sane is tackled by Liverpool's Dejan Lovren. Andrew Yates / Reuters
    Manchester City's Leroy Sane is tackled by Liverpool's Dejan Lovren. Andrew Yates / Reuters
  • Manchester City's Raheem Sterling is put under pressure by Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum. Jason Cairnduff / Reuters
    Manchester City's Raheem Sterling is put under pressure by Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum. Jason Cairnduff / Reuters

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