MADRID – Barcelona is gearing up for a crucial clash against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday in Hamburg with the opportunity to secure their spot in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds.
A win would grant them a fourth consecutive victory in Group H, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2021.
For Barcelona, it has been a challenging journey in the Champions League group stage for the past two years.
While they have improved their performance in La Liga, European success has remained elusive.
This year, however, they have the chance to change that narrative.
Since the arrival of Xavi as the coach in November 2021, Barcelona has displayed glimpses of their former glory, culminating in their La Liga win last season.
However, their European campaigns have been lacklustre, leaving fans and the coach desiring a return to their free-flowing and electrifying style of play.
The high point of Barcelona’s current season was back-to-back 5-0 victories over Real Betis in La Liga and Royal Antwerp in the Champions League in September.
Still, the team has struggled to maintain that level of football consistently.
In their previous meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk, Barcelona secured a 2-1 victory at home in October.
However, despite controlling the match in the first half, they failed to put the game to bed and had to endure a tense finale as the Ukrainians pressed for an equalizer.
This inconsistency was also evident in their La Liga Clasico three days later when Barcelona lost to Real Madrid after taking the lead.
They could not match the dynamic performances that earned them the 2015 Champions League title under coach Luis Enrique.
Barcelona faces huge challenge
Xavi acknowledges the challenges of replicating past dominance in the modern era, but he is determined to continue striving for greatness.
He emphasized that performances as lackluster as the recent one against Real Sociedad are unacceptable.
“Today is an example of what we must not do, above all in terms of intensity,” Xavi stated.
Pedri’s return from injury offers hope for Barcelona.
Xavi is confident that the talented midfielder’s presence will inject more fluidity into the team’s play.
“Pedri will change the face of the team,” noted Xavi. “It’s very good news for him and for the group.”
As for Robert Lewandowski, he returned from an ankle injury in the Clasico but was not as impactful as desired.
His lethal finishing was missed in the first match against Shakhtar, and a return to Germany, where he had prolific spells with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, could be an ideal opportunity for him to regain form.
Xavi might also rethink his recent reliance on a three-center-back formation, potentially making adjustments to improve the team’s balance between defense and attack.
One challenge Xavi faces is determining the team’s best lineup when everyone is fit, given the wealth of central midfield options and the emergence of promising talents like Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez.
Barcelona’s objective is to secure qualification on Tuesday, allowing Xavi more time to fine-tune the team for the demanding fixtures in the later rounds of the Champions League.
