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Royal Antwerp claimed a 3-2 win at home against Barcelona on Wednesday. The Belgian outfit capitalized on the Spanish side's errors to put them to the sword, claiming their first win in the competition. Fans were particularly furious with Oriol Romeu's performance on the pitch.
Royal Antwerp made their debut in the UEFA Champions League this season after they won the Belgian league last season. They lost all of their first five games in the competition and were underdogs as Barcelona came to town.
The Spanish champions arrived for the match still hurting from their 4-2 loss to Girona last weekend and needed a win for confidence. They had already sealed the top spot in the group, and thus manager Xavi decided to shuffle his pack, handing starts to Oriol Romeu, Hector Fort, and Sergi Roberto.
With two errors leading to goals, Romeu was the chief culprit. The Spanish midfielder, who joined in the summer from Girona, was criticized by the fans for his poor display in the match.
Fans of the club took to X to air their strong opinions on the midfielder's performance for La Blaugrana.
"Most useless player I've ever seen," one fan wrote.
"I can’t keep watching Romeu ball," another one said.
Here are a few more reactions:
Barcelona went behind in Belgium after only two minutes, with an attempted pass from Oriol Romeu leading to the goal. The former Southampton man was also responsible for losing the ball in the second half for the Belgians to score again.
La Blaugrana have now lost consecutive games, but have still qualified as the top team from their group in the UEFA Champions League. The Spanish giants will return to action at the Mestalla on Saturday, where they will face Valencia.
Barcelona falling behind on all fronts
Barcelona won the league title last season after an impressive campaign, but they have failed to replicate the same this season. They have struggled for most of the campaign so far, with injuries and loss of form hitting them hard.
Xavi's side already find themselves seven points off the pace in La Liga, with neighbors Girona topping the standings while they are fourth. They also lost once in the UEFA Champions League — against Shakhtar Donetsk — away from home.
Barcelona boss Xavi is beginning to feel a squeeze due to his side's sustained run of poor form. The club legend must find a way to turn things around quickly, starting with the match against Valencia this weekend.
