Pedri admits Barcelona aren't ready to compete in the Champions League

Barcelona midfielder Pedri has admitted that the team isn't yet ready to compete at Champions League level following group stage elimination for the second season in a row.

Having finished third in their group last season, Barca have again failed to progress to the knockout stages. Even with a game still left to play, they cannot finish above either Bayern Munich or Inter.

They failed to win any of their four matches against the above opponents, losing twice to the German side and following up a loss in Milan with a draw at home to the Italian club.

The worst of those performances came at Camp Nou against Bayern, with the visitors prevailing 3-0 in a match they often dominated.

Xavi and co have fallen well short of expectations, with many expecting them to be up there with Europe's best after spending a huge amount of money in the summer, and mortgaging the future by utilising various economic 'levers', on the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.

However, Pedri says that, despite those signings, the team is not yet ready to compete at the highest level against the very best sides.

“We lack many things, but we have to be self-critical," he told Mundo Deportivo. "It is true that in Munich we deserved more, in Milan there were a couple of circumstances… but after seeing what happened today it has been shown that we are not prepared to compete in the Champions League”.

Some Barca fans feel officiating is largely to blame for the early exit with controversial decisions being made in the first match with Inter, but Pedri says the team don't deserve to progress.

“Of course, it’s a failure. Barca have to get out of the group and they haven’t because we didn’t deserve to continue in the Champions League," he stated.