It was hard not to feel sorry for AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri and his players after they were on the wrong end of a Barcelona backlash in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Barcelona pulled off a remarkable Champions League comeback when Lionel Messi scored twice in a thrilling 4-0 victory at home to AC Milan on Tuesday that sent the Spanish club through to the last eight 4-2 on aggregate.
A depleted Barcelona reached the King's Cup semi-finals with a 6-3 aggregate win over Real Betis despite losing Wednesday's second leg to the second division leaders.
Coutinho, who arrived from Liverpool for a club record 165 million euros ($185.18 million) in January 2018, has so far shown little to suggest he will be able to compensate for Frenchman Ousmane Dembele's absence against Lyon in the UEFA Champions League tie.
Seemingly rudderless and leaderless, Barcelona have little time to find solutions to their dip in form but they have a chance to lift morale when they visit a distracted Real Madrid in La Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona need to be more efficient in front of goal and iron out defensive lapses if they are to beat Real Madrid in the King's Cup last four, assistant coach Jordi Roura and midfielder Cesc Fabregas said on Monday.
Barcelona's dismay at losing 2-0 at AC Milan in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg was offset on Thursday by the news that defender Eric Abidal had been cleared to play after almost a year out to undergo a liver transplant.
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez was included in the starting lineup for Saturday's La Liga 'Clasico' against Real Madrid, a day after his four-month ban for biting an opponent expired.
Barcelona forward David Villa has been admitted to hospital due to a bout of renal colic and may be unavailable for Saturday's league game at Granada, the La Liga leaders said on Monday.
Lionel Messi scored within three minutes of returning to action for the first time in more than three weeks to help fire La Liga champions Barcelona to a resounding 4-0 home win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
Barcelona dropped their first points of the La Liga season as their star-studded forward line misfired in a 0-0 draw away to Malaga on Wednesday.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to volley 10-man Barcelona to a 1-0 home victory over Real Madrid on Sunday which put them back on top of La Liga.
Unbeaten leaders Barcelona extended their near-perfect start but again suffered the defensive lapses that have plagued them this season when Lionel Messi netted twice in a 4-2 La Liga win at Real Mallorca on Sunday.
Barcelona revive their entertaining rivalry with Arsenal on Wednesday in the first leg their Champions League last 16 tie that will showcase two of the most technically gifted and attractive sides in world soccer.
Leaders Barcelona suffered their first defeat in La Liga this season when Real Sociedad stormed back from two-goals down and made the most of a red card for Gerard Pique to record a 3-2 home win on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid slumped to a 3-0 defeat at resurgent Real Sociedad on Thursday which means Barcelona need one more victory to wrap up a 25th Spanish La Liga title while Malaga were relegated after losing 1-0 at Levante.
Barcelona will ignore attempts by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho to play mind games, according to Lionel Messi.
Eric Abidal crowned a superb defensive display with a rare goal to help Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday and put the La Liga leaders through to the quarter-finals of the King's Cup on away goals.
Robert Lewandowski scored a brilliant free kick to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their last Champions League Group D outing on Tuesday, ending the 100 percent record of their opponents. The Poland international curled the ball over the wall and into the corner of the net in the 28th minute but the goal had no impact on the final standings with Atletico guaranteed top spot and Bayern in second place.
La Liga is set for one of its most thrilling finishes when Barcelona host leaders Atletico Madrid in a winner-takes-all showdown at the Nou Camp on the final day of the campaign on Saturday.
Two goals by the dynamic Lionel Messi helped La Liga leaders Barcelona maintain their flying start to the season with a 5-1 destruction of Athletic Bilbao.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola refused to look for excuses after the La Liga champions were humbled 2-0 at home by promoted Hercules on Saturday.
Barcelona fullback Dani Alves has been ruled out with a hamstring strain for 15 to 20 days, the La Liga leaders said on Monday.
Barcelona and France defender Eric Abidal, who had surgery on a liver tumour in March, is hoping to be back to full fitness for the Champions League final at the end of this month.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Barcelona defender Dani Alves will be out of action for up to two months after having surgery on a fractured right collarbone sustained during training on Wednesday.
'I think that the only thing that we lacked was to convert the chances. We were good in the high press. After going behind, we generated 20 chances and six or seven were very clear.'
Barcelona took another big stride towards a second-straight La Liga triumph when top scorer Lionel Messi struck twice in a 4-1 home win over relegation threatened Tenerife on Tuesday.
Barcelona magician Lionel Messi mesmerised Arsenal so much over the two legs of their Champions League quarter-finals they were left chasing shadows, manager Arsene Wenger reflected.
Barcelona to sign Gundogan on free transfer from Man City
Title rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid stayed locked together at the top of La Liga after they played out an intense 0-0 draw with few genuine chances at the Calderon on Saturday.
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic embraced the art of winning ugly after they beat 10-man Real Betis 2-0 to move closer to retaining their La Liga title.
Lionel Messi scored two spectacular free kicks as Barcelona thrashed local rivals Espanyol 4-0 in Saturday's Catalan derby to move three points clear at the top of La Liga.
Barcelona were handed their first defeat of the season by Atletico Madrid after a 2-1 loss on Sunday.
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has become the latest to insist that all is well at the club, dismissing reports of a rift between Argentina forward Lionel Messi and coach Luis Enrique.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi hit his 400th career goal for the La Liga leaders.
Atletico Madrid have a chance to pile more King's Cup misery on neighbours Real after eliminating Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday to set up a last-four clash against the bitter city rivals they beat in last year's final.
Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and the Spanish football federation face fines over politically-motivated whistles and banners during last season's King's Cup final at the Nou Camp, the Spanish government said on Monday.
Lionel Messi netted two late goals as champions Barcelona thrashed Sevilla 4-0 on Saturday to stretch their advantage over second-placed Real Madrid at the top of La Liga to five points.
La Liga leaders Real Madrid were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at lowly city rivals Rayo Vallecano on Sunday as Joselu's early strike was cancelled out by Raul de Tomas' penalty, a result that could spice up the title race with surprise package Girona.
