Barcelona 2-2 Atalanta: Entertaining draw condemns Serie A side to play-off round
Atalanta held their own against high-flying Barcelona but could not get the win they ultimately needed to finish in the top eight.
Atalanta missed out on an automatic place in the Champions League last 16 as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Barcelona on Wednesday.
Last season's Europa League winners, who were missing Ademola Lookman through injury, ultimately needed a victory away from home due to results elsewhere in the final round of league-phase matches.
Atalanta slipped out of the top eight despite twice coming from behind to earn a point against a Barca side who were already sure of advancing and finished second in the table.
Lamine Yamal gave the Blaugrana the lead two minutes after half-time, before Ederson equalised for Atalanta with a stunning effort from the edge of the box.
Ronald Araujo restored Barca's advantage with a header from a corner, but Atalanta were level again when Mario Pasalic nutmegged Wojciech Szczesny with a low strike.
There was to be no late twist, though, and the Serie A side will instead enter the play-off round as the top seeds in ninth place.
Data debrief: Raphinha continues astonishing season
It was always going to be a tough ask for Atalanta to outscore Barcelona, whose 28 goals in the Champions League this season are the most of any side. Only in 2011-12 (30) have Barca netted more through their first eight games of a campaign.
Raphinha has been involved in 12 of those 28 goals, having followed up his goalscoring heroics at Benfica the previous week with a pair of assists for Yamal and Araujo.
Only Lionel Messi and Luis Figo have ever been involved in more Barca goals in a Champions League campaign, albeit Messi did so on six occasions.