Barcelona has problems right now. Not only they have been eliminated from the Champions League, but they will have financial consequences due to that elimination too. Not to mention that they were heavily beaten (again) by Bayern, for the second year in a row. The club knew that they were eliminated before the match, but the fans still expected their players to bow out of the competition with a much better display, not again a heavy 3-0 defeat. And that’s where we see another big problem – a psychological one. The Catalonians have a well-documented problem with games after a big time loses. And they are in that situation ahead of tomorrow’s game with Valencia.Barcelona have won just three Champions League matches since Messi left.Twice against Dynamo Kyiv and once against Viktoria Plzen 😬 pic.twitter.com/oTOK5F0H5R— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 27, 2022 Let’s recall what happened last season, also under head coach Xavi. Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League also from Bayern (3-0 again) and days later, they played in Pamplona against weak Osasuna in La Liga. The result? Only 2-2. Barcelona continued their European journey in the Europa League but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt. After the loss, the Catalonians had an easy task – to beat lowly Cadiz. But the team which narrowly missed elimination from La Liga came to Camp Nou and won 1-0. So, it’s easy to see where the problem lays.“We have to change our minds, turn the page and think about LaLiga. We are fighting for the title. We are a pineapple in the locker room and in Valencia there comes a time to react. In the Champions League it hasn’t reached us, but we have to fight for all the competitions we have left: LaLiga, the Cup, the Super Cup and the Europa League” said Xavi at the press conference.Pedri being completely honest: We are not good enough for the Champions LeagueBarca coach will face his teammate who marked an era in Italian football with AC Milan just as Xavi marked an era in Spanish football with the Catalonians. Gennaro Gattuso is two years older than Xavi and when asked about the comparison between the two from their time as players, he joked: ‘He played, I ran’. Former AC Milan defensive midfielder has already coached Sion, Palermo, Crete, Pisa, Milan, Napoli, while this is Xavi’s second job, after Qatari Al Sadd. And one thing is interesting when it comes to Valencia: with 63% ball possession, they are second in league, just after Barca with 67%. As members of AC Milan and Barcelona, two men faced each other in three Champions League games: a 2-1 win for Xavi in 2004, a 1-0 win for Gattuso also in 2004 and a 3-3 draw in the opening duel between the two, in 2000.LA LIGA – ROUND 12FridayMallorca – Espanyol 1-1 (0-0)/Muriqi 48 – Lazo 70/Saturday15:00: (3.40) Almeria (3.25) Celta (2.40)17:15: (7.00) Cadiz (3.70) Atl.Madrid (1.65)19:30: (2.06) Sevilla (3.45) Rayo Vallecano (4.20)22:00: (5.90) Valencia (4.10) Barcelona (1.63)Sunday15:00: (1.99) Osasuna (3.50) Valladolid (4.40)17:15: (1.24) Real Madrid (6.75) Girona (14.0)19:30: (2.35) Ath.Bilbao (3.35) Villareal (3.40)22:00: (2.11) Sociedad (3.40) Betis (3.70)Monday22:00: (2.75) Elche (3.05) Getafe (3.00)***odds are subject to change***
