MY ACCOUNT
Xavi remains convinced qualification for the Champions League knockout phase is realistic for Barcelona despite their pivotal matchday six game being a trip to the mighty Bayern Munich.
Barca go to Munich second in Group E with seven points, just two more than a Benfica side that will expect to beat Dynamo Kiev.
If Benfica are victorious, only a win will take Barca through to the last 16, and that will not be a simple task – Bayern have won all five of their Champions League games this term and boast an excellent record at home.
Die Roten have lost just twice at the Allianz Arena all year, with Eintracht Frankfurt claiming a 2-1 victory just over two months ago and Paris Saint-Germain winning 3-2 back in April.
Bayern are already on the longest run of successive victories by any team against Barcelona in the history of the Champions League/European Cup (three wins), a sequence that included the 8-2 in August 2020 and a comprehensive 3-0 success earlier this season.
The odds will be stacked against a Barca side who suffered their first defeat of Xavi’s tenure at the weekend, but the former midfielder is looking to instil some belief.
“We will try,” he told reporters. “He who tries and rows to the end does not fail, and I do not believe in the word failure.
“We depend on ourselves and it will be difficult, but at the moment we have the idea of going there to win the game, dominate and create chances. If tomorrow it [Barca are knocked out] happens, we will talk about it.
“I see them train and I think we are ready to compete. It’s not the best scenario [the lack of spectators allowed] but we are very much looking forward to it.
“I hope the latest defeat doesn’t affect us. We depend on ourselves and we will try with our weapons.
“After the game we will see. I don’t see it as such a miracle. It is a game and we can beat any opponent.”
Xavi was hired amid a huge rebuild job at Barca, with the club still reeling from Lionel Messi’s departure, which was forced by a crippling financial situation.
Barca’s debts have reached €1.4billion this year and their LaLiga salary cap was reduced by €280m, meaning cheaper signings and utilising young players have been necessities.
But Xavi believes the charm of football is in the possibility to win any match.
“We work so that Barca is not inferior to any team in Europe. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” he continued.
“You have to be patient because this [process] is not overnight – lately, Bayern have been better than Barca, but football always offers you a chance for revenge.”
