Barcelona Head Coach Xavi Confident That His Side Can Beat Bayern Munich on Final Matchday To Qualify for Champions League Last 16
The Spaniard was overseeing his second match as Barcelona head coach and believed that his side would be able to make it through to the last 16 by beatin Bayern Munich on December 9. Barcelona's next assignment is against Villarreal in La Liga.
Barcelona remain confident that they would be able to defeat Bayern Munich in their final group league match to move on to the last 16 stage of the Champions League. The Catalans needed to win against Benfica at home as three crucial points would have them through to the last 16 but the match ended in a goalless draw. Speaking after the match, Barcelona head coach Xavi said that his side is optimistic and confident that they can defeat Bayern to qualify for the knockout rounds. Barcelona Head Coach Xavi Refutes Rumours of Sergio Aguero’s Retirement, Argentine Striker ‘Positive’ in Recovery
"What makes me most optimistic is seeing the team playing in this way. Playing like this we can compete with anyone. Seeing what I've seen, we can go to Munich and win. The positive news is we still depend on ourselves," Xavi said. Barcelona did play well in the match but failed to find the back of the net. Striker Memphis Depay missed two good chances. However, they were at a real threat of a loss when Benfica striker Haris Seferovic missed an open goal after he had Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen beaten. Both teams settled for one point each on a rainy night and now everything would depend on the final matchday with just one spot from Group E left. Bayern Munich defeated Dynamo Kyiv 2-1 to make their place in the last 16 stage. Barcelona vs Benfica, UCL 2021-22 Match Ends With Goalless Draw
Further commenting on the game, he said, "We were the better side. It was a good game. If we had just scored one goal it would have been a great game. In the end, it's a point that feels like much less. Being positive, I think we played well. The idea is catching on. We just lacked that goal. This is the Barca we want but we must be more clinical. That's one goal in two games -- and that was a penalty. We have to restore the confidence of the players that score goals. I'm not just talking about the forwards, either, but the midfielders that arrive from deep as well."
Barcelona's next assignment is against Villarreal in La Liga. Xavi won his first match in charge of the club with a 1-0 win over Espanyol last weekend. Barcelona's last two matches against Bayern however, have ended in heavy defeats. One was that famous 8-2 loss in the Champions League 2019-2020 and other came this season where Bayern travelled to the Camp Nou.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 24, 2021 05:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).