As if it were a meal in a restaurant with a Michelin star but without it. Today at the Camp Nou the ball of the seven stars will not roll nor will the delicious instrumental symphony of the Champions League sound, whose lyrics in English, also translated into German and French, remind us that it is the competition reserved for the best teams in the world. Barcelona is not in that select club. Neither did Manchester United. But the entity of both teams, in an ascending line, sweetens the bright orange of the Europa League. “We didn't deserve to be in the Champions League. Now we want to show that we can compete against a top European rival. But we are both in the Europa League”, recalled Xavi. It still hurts the coach not to be able to hear the Champions League anthem “because that's where we want to be. But we are going to compete to advance ”, he stressed.
Moving forward is showing that your Barça can beat a historic and competitive rival and that it is in a growth phase. Just like Barcelona, who were promptly fired in November from the Champions League group stage and who to date have only managed to beat Viktoria Pilsen at home.
Four months later, the team reappears exhibiting another profile. They have not known defeat since the duel against Bayern Munich (0-3), on October 26, and since then they have added 14 wins and two draws (against Espanyol and in the Super Cup semifinals against Betis). Everything has served him to win the Super Cup, reach the Copa del Rey semifinals and consolidate his lead in the League. And he has achieved it with a solid block in defense and with the key of the four midfielders more than activated.
"Now I think that in the Champions League I would have changed technical and tactical things," acknowledged Xavi, who at that time was pulling both open ends and who, after losing at San Siro, was forced to play against Inter Milan at home ( 3-3) without the defensive bolt provided by Araújo, Christensen and Koundé, injured.
There he practically finished saying goodbye for the second consecutive year to the elegant navy blue of the Champions League. This time he will have his starting defense. And although Xavi cannot have the injured Busquets and Dembélé, two essential players for him, he has managed to find replacements for them that, at least in the League, have worked for him. One of them is Frenkie de Jong who, after saying no to Ten Hag, has found his best ally in the double pivot. It doesn't matter if the partner is Busquets or Kessié. “I am very happy and satisfied with his performance and leadership”, acknowledged Xavi.
Dembélé's place has been reserved for Raphinha. The Brazilian striker who landed at the Camp Nou in the summer from Leeds never managed to beat Manchester United. “I think they are two of the best teams in the world. But Barça has everything to move forward," said Raphinha. He also talked about his adaptation. "I have to improve but I think I'm at my best since I arrived in Barcelona." Ansu Fati could also play in his position, who for the first time this season ran out of minutes at Villarreal. "He's having a bad time," Raphinha slipped.
On the other side of the board, the greatness of the English club awaits them, which returns to the Camp Nou four years later and has never managed to beat the blaugrana on that stage. The good results achieved have allowed Ten Hag's men to climb to the top of the Premier League and seal the ticket for the League Cup final, in which they will face Newcastle on February 26. “It was time to see a Manchester like that. Ten Hag has changed his face. He struggled a lot at the beginning but he has improved a lot” said Xavi. He could very well be talking about his team.
The almost full that the Camp Nou will register at 6:45 p.m., as the club expects, will finish proving the greatness of the match. The desire to remove the thorn in the Europa League, where he was fired last year by Eintracht Frankfurt in a total defeat, from the pitch to the stands, is another incentive that deserves the highest consideration. "You have to learn from the mistakes of the past, I hope there are many Barcelona fans," said Xavi, who this time also has Robert Lewandowski. At 34, he will face Manchester United for the first time. Today at the Camp Nou, things are about challenges.
