Barcelona lacked goals, not heart, in draw to Benfica

Heading into the game versus Benfica, Barcelona knew they needed a win in order to qualify for the next round of the Champions League. The match was set to be Xavi’s first true test as manager.

All things considered, he passed the test. His team showed determination and an understanding of the type of play Xavi wants out of the players.

Unfortunately, that was not enough as the Catalans only managed a draw and were fortunate Benfica missed a chance in the final moments of the game.

The draw places Barcelona in second place in the group. But they are only two points ahead of Benfica. This means in order to not depend on anyone else, Barcelona need to get a positive result away to Bayern Munich. In the event they lose, then they need to hope Dynamo Kyiv can either win or draw against Benfica.

Result not ideal but Barcelona put in a good performance

Having only been in charge for two weeks and two matches, the sensations surrounding the team is night and day compared to when Ronald Koeman was in charge. There is a belief that Xavi has instilled in the players.

A belief that they are good enough to compete and that “this is what we have” is not the right mentality for a club the stature of Barcelona. Despite the draw, he was full of praise for his team in his postgame press conference.

"“What makes me most optimistic is seeing the team playing in this way,” Xavi said in a news conference after the Benfica draw when asked about his side’s chances of progressing in the Champions League.“Playing like this we can compete with anyone. Seeing what I’ve seen [against Benfica], we can go to Munich and win. The positive news is we still depend on ourselves.”Source: ESPN"

He believed his team were the better side on the day and the only thing lacking was the goal. He was happy with the performance but lamented it was not shown in the final score.

Scoring goals has been the Catalans’ biggest problem during the group stage. In five games, they’ve only scored two goals, both against Dynamo Kyiv.

A piece of good news for Xavi is the return of Ousmane Dembélé. The Frenchman came on in the second half and created a couple of scoring chances. He was more than a handful for the Benfica defense.

"“He has changed the dynamic of the game,” Xavi said. “He has generated chances. He made the difference.“The shame is that a goal hasn’t come from his cross, shots.“I have spoken with him, he is very happy here. Today he has taken a risk because he is not 100%.“There was a risk that he could have a setback, and it is surprising. One has to speak with him and to see if he feels comfortable and happy.”Source: Football España"

If Dembélé can continue to get match fitness and avoid another injury, he is going to be an important piece for Xavi the rest of the season.

Barcelona control their destiny but, on paper, the likelihood of advancing to the next phase looks bleak. Bayern Munich continue to be one of the best teams in the world and already beat Barcelona 3-0 at the Camp Nou in the opening fixture.

But every team can slip up in any game and the German side is no different. They have nothing to play for and could field an alternative lineup.

Seeing the transformation and the performance Barcelona put in is cause for optimism. Ansu Fati could also be back in time and give them a much needed boost in attack.

If Barcelona fail to make it out of the group stage, however, it will be Joan Laporta’s first failure as president. A failure that could have been avoided had he made the decision to sack Koeman much earlier than he did.