LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) –As Barcelona gears up for their Champions League opener against Royal Antwerp, manager Xavi is determined to break the club’s recent group stage jinx, setting the initial target of advancing from the group.
Despite their recent 5-0 victory over Real Betis, Xavi remains cautious about Barcelona’s European campaign due to their underwhelming group stage performances in the past two seasons.
Xavi stated, “The players are very enthusiastic, but we must not become obsessed.
“We need to stay true to ourselves and assert our identity. Our current goal is to progress beyond the group stage, and then we can reassess.”
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He continued, “Last year, our European performance was good in terms of play but not in terms of results.
“Now, we have bolstered our squad, and we must demonstrate our ability to compete and contend for the trophy.”
In the 2021/22 season, Barcelona failed to reach the Round of 16, finishing third behind Bayern Munich and Benfica.
In the previous season, it was Inter who outperformed Barcelona, advancing alongside Bayern to the knockout rounds.
Xavi’s team is set to face Antwerp on Tuesday and will then square off against Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday.
