Reuters, October 25, Barcelona – When the two clubs square off in the Champions League on Wednesday, Barcelona will be eager to prove to everyone that they are superior to rival Bayern Munich, according to manager Xavi Hernandez.
Bayern defeated Barcelona 2-0 in their Group C match last month, a result that Xavi claimed did not accurately reflect the team’s potential.
But Xavi wants his squad to prove their value at Camp Nou on Wednesday after they have only won one of their four games played in Europe this year.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Xavi said, “We have to prove to ourselves that even if we are eliminated (from the Champions League), we are a fantastic club and we can play against the best teams out there.
“That match in Munich was a travesty; we deserved so much more; that was an accident because we missed the finishing touch.
Bayern outshot Barcelona 18-13 and had more possession, but the German team scored twice against the flow of play in the final four minutes to secure the victory.
Barca’s indifferent form in the competition has left them in danger of being eliminated early in the competition as they are third in the standings with four points, eight points behind leaders Bayern and three behind second-placed Inter Milan with two group matches remaining.
On Wednesday, Inter will visit bottom-placed Viktoria Plzen, who are still without a point.
Due to their superior head-to-head record, the Italians would advance to the round of 16 and eliminate Barca if they prevailed. Bayern has already guaranteed their spot in the following round.
“No matter what occurs in Milan, we must triumph. To prove that we are superior to Bayern, we must play as if only our game mattered “Xavi remarked.
“I dislike discussing miracles, but there is some optimism. Nevertheless, the circumstance we are in is exceedingly uncomfortable ” All the odds are against us. But . ..
Things can happen suddenly. ”
Barcelona, who quit the competition after the group stage last year, experienced another setback when Real Madrid defeated them 3-1 in this month’s El Clasico.
Although he promised to watch the Inter game with his team in the locker room, Xavi declined to communicate with the Viktoria Plzen players in advance of the game.
Xavi chuckled, “I already have too much on my plate to start playing the coach of other teams.
I feel like we (at times) had it in our hands and now it is not up to us, so we are facing this predicament simply because of our own faults. We have not been at the level that we wanted in some games.
According to Xavi, Barcelona is out to prove they are superior to Bayern.
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