|
Surely many Barcelona fans have imagined such a scenario. It's about Xavi leading the Red and Blue Legion to play perfect Tiki-Taka football away, defeating Bayern, and confidently advancing to the round of 16! Why do I say everyone imagines this? It's because, in reality, this is impossible.
Due to achieving only 1 draw and 1 loss against Benfica in the two rounds of matches, Barcelona can only advance to the round of 16 by challenging Bayern away. In fact, many Barcelona fans felt despair after being held to a draw at home by Benfica. Camp Nou suffered a clean 0-3 defeat. Can Barcelona still secure 3 points away? What made Barcelona fans desperate was that in the match against Bayern, the Spanish giants were completely passive, and even their forte, ball possession, was surpassed by the opponent. The direct consequence of losing ball possession was that Barcelona lagged behind in shot attempts and shots on target. If Bayern didn't exert obvious pressure in the last moments, Barcelona might have suffered an even worse defeat! After losing this crucial match, Barcelona's position was surpassed by Benfica, and the Red and Blue Army could only continue in the Europa League. It's worth noting that this is the first time in 21 years that Barcelona has missed the knockout stage of the Champions League. The last time they were eliminated in the group stage, Messi was only 13 years old.
Not only in the Champions League, but Barcelona also struggled in the league this season. After 16 rounds, Barcelona won only 6 matches, and in the league standings, they opened a 4-point gap with European teams, trailing Atletico Madrid by as much as 6 points. So Barcelona fans should cherish the present; perhaps next season, the Red and Blue Legion will bid farewell to Europe directly! For the current Barcelona, it's hard to associate them with the elite. Have you ever seen an elite team that scored only two goals in six matches? Have you seen an elite team being slaughtered multiple times? Have you seen an elite team unable to find a reliable striker up front? However, Barcelona fans can still comfort themselves with the word 'future.'
After all, they have potential stars like Fati, Pedri, Gavi, and others. Given 3-5 years, there may not be another Xavi, Iniesta, or even Messi. It's best to hope that Barcelona's gamble about the future this time can win. After all, there's nothing impossible in the world. |
|