- Mar 4, 2024
- Jun 21, 2023
Barcelona have had the rub of the green going their way in this season of La Liga so far. The Catalans are at the top of the tree with 50 points coming from 16 wins. Barcelona have two draws and the solitary loss in the season. The Catalans have renewed their hopes of getting a title on the back of four wins in their last four games.
The historic club suffered a blip earlier in the football season when they were routed from the Champions League in the group stage. This happened on the back of a third-place finish. Clubs like Inter Milan and Bayern Munich progressed through to the round of 16. Xavi Hernández, current Barcelona manager and former player of the club, said it is important for the side to play in big tournaments.
“It’s difficult to manage Barcelona. We have a lot of pressure. We need to win titles. Fortunately, I know the club and the environment,” Xavi told Hindustan Times. He also said that he drew inspiration from his days in the club as a player to help Barcelona stem the rut concerning their inconsistent form at present.
The Catalans have been ousted from the Champions League but this did not signal the end of the hard competition for Barcelona. Barcelona will face Manchester United next in the Europa League Round of 16 and will go head-to-head with the Red Devils in the first leg on February 16. Barcelona is currently in 4th place in the Premier League.
“We were not lucky in the draw because we have to face Manchester United!” Ten Hag is doing a good job, they have very good players and it’s going to be really difficult to beat them,” he spoke ahead of the game. “Yes, more or less (both clubs are at a similar point),” Xavi stated. “We are coming back. Manchester United and Barcelona, both are in the Europa League. I think both teams deserve to be in the Champions League, but this is our reality and we need to face it,” Xavi added.