Xavi’s men visit Bayern aiming to hit the table in the group of death
Barcelona will have the cotton test this Tuesday in the Allianz Arena. The team led by Xavi Hernández visit Bayern Munich in the Champions League and do so at a spectacular moment, with five consecutive wins in which they have scored a staggering twenty goals and with Ciudad Condal plunged into a state of euphoria he had not lived before. years. It’s an important duel for the future of the group of death, but even more so for the morale of a team that lands on one of the most important stages on the European stage. It is the moment of truth for the Catalans.
“We have improved in many ways, we see ourselves able to compete. We are excited and we can win this game and change history. We want to show the level. but the game doesn’t change anything, we can’t draw any conclusions,” assured Xavi at the press conference before his team’s game against Bayern. That story, that of 2-8 in Lisbon or that of never winning in Munich, is the story that haunts a team that knows this could be the year to break the stats and take a resounding victory, that of the return to the elite of European football.
To achieve that victory, which would leave the Catalans with a privileged position in the group of death, Xavi will be able to count on all of his players, including those who rested last weekend in the lofty victory over Cádiz in the New Mirandilla. This is the case for Koundé, Eric García, Pedri, Dembélé and Lewandowski. They will all be starters in Germany in a squad in which there will be no surprises. Barca already have a recognizable base for the big events and only one position is in dispute, that of the footballer who should join Dembele and Lewandowski in the attacking trident.
With all this arsenal, Barça will try to hit the table that would be essential for a group that seems complicated. Bayern beat Inter Milan comfortably on matchday one in Italy, one of the most complicated outings, and all indications are that they will be the team to beat if Xavi’s men are to qualify for first place, their original goal in the cluster. Winning this Tuesday would mean the lead would be safe with a three point lead over the closest pursuer, a significant margin of error in case there was a stumbling block later on.
It will be a very tough game for Barcelona. It will be for the entity of the rival, an entire Bayern Munich, and also for the atmosphere that the Catalans are expected to receive after the summer that lived with the signing of Lewandowski. From “Barcelona is the only club in the world that has no money, but then buys all the players it wants”, from Nagelsmann to “Don’t worry about what we do, worry about your own”, by Joan Laporta. It was a tense market between the two clubs and it shows in a stadium that is preparing to become the 12th player and shows that the club is above legends like Lewy.
Bayern come to the appointment, yes, at an irregular time. Nagelsmann’s have had some fine performances, such as 1-6 against Eintracht Frankfurt, 0-7 against Bochum or the win over Inter Milan, interspersed with episodes of a team struggling to advance matches that were more than affordable until recently. In just six days of the Bundesliga they have already collected three punctures, all in recent games, and have seen the long shadow of Lewandowski hang over them.
To put this bad dynamic behind him, Nagelsmann will be able to count on all his players, with the exception of Kingsley Coman and Bouna Sarr. They are the only absentees from a team that will come out with all its weapons to add its fifth straight win against the Catalans and bring an eleven into the fray with two touches compared to last year. Mathijjs de Ligt and Sadio Mané are the novelties in a machine that will be lubricated sooner rather than later.
Source: La Verdad
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
