Champions League: Barcelona face a must-win match against Porto
Barcelona is fully aware of the importance of their Champions League match against Porto on Tuesday. Last time out, the Catalan side put in a dismal performance in a loss against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The defeat proved twice as costly as not only did they miss out an opportunity to qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament — it would have been their first in two seasons — but Porto drew level after their win against Royal Antwerp.
Given how things have gone for Barcelona recently, managing only a draw against Rayo Vallecano in their last league fixture, Xavi and his team not only need a win, they need to put in an improved performance.
Easier said than done, however.
“If we win then we are assured a top spot,” Xavi said in his pre-match press conference. “After the last two seasons, it is a great chance. We are going into the game really motivated, in front of our fans and let’s hope it is a magical night.”
Decent nights have been hard to come by for Barcelona recently, let alone magical ones.
Inconsistency has been a theme throughout this season but the display on the pitch has fallen off a cliff. The last time they put in a passable shift was in the first half against Real Madrid. They’ve been easily second-best against Real Sociedad and Shakhtar Donetsk.
They went behind in under a minute against Deportivo Alaves and struggled to score twice to pick up a win. Against Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona once again left it late and could only muster a draw.
“We have to keep working to get our game back. This is Barça,” said Xavi. “It’s pressure but for me nothing has changed. We have to plan games well to compete the best we can. I have blind faith in my team and my coaching staff. We are a unit and for that reason I think things will work out.”
Barcelona is going to need more than faith if they want to pull out a win against Porto.
To do so, they may have to do it without Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The goalkeeper missed the Rayo Vallecano match as he is trying to recover from a back injury he sustained while on international duty with Germany. While he did take part in training on Monday, his status is still very much up in the air.
Ter Stegen sí saltó a entrenar esta mañana. No había medios de comunicación cuando lo hizo.
— Toni Juanmartí (@tjuanmarti) November 27, 2023
No está del todo descartado y mañana decisión final, como explicó Xavi.
Salvo mejora acentuada del teutón, dispuesto a forzar, Iñaki Peña repetirá bajo palos.https://t.co/Ka3eDnEiFs
Barcelona need to progress to the next round of the Champions League. It is a necessity both in the sporting and economic sense. Not doing so would be a significant setback for the club and for the future of Xavi Hernandez. There are plenty of things on the line on Tuesday.
“The diagnosis is clear and we are getting that across to the players,” Xavi said. “We have to change our mentality and be a competitive beat. We have to go after the game from the off.”
A win would certainly improve morale and check off an objective for the season. It could also serve as a springboard — should the team also put in a good performance — for the next couple of weeks where Barcelona will likely play for their league title aspirations as they have Atletico Madrid and Girona next on the docket.