Barça will meet their r next Mondayival for the round of 16 of the Champions after two seasons without passing the group stage. And although this campaign they have qualified as first in group H, the defeat against Antwerp in stoppage time, against whom they won 5-0 in the first leg, once again sows doubts about Xavi Hernández and the team.
Of the consecutive defeats against Girona and Antwerp they focus on Saturday’s match against Valencia (9 p.m.) before meeting their opponent in the tie. The Barça defensive fragility makes one fear the crossing against the Paris Saint Germain, who appears as the most difficult rival of the seven possible rivals, among which are also Inter or Naples. Although qualifying as first in the group has allowed them to avoid teams like Manchester City, Bayern and Arsenal, with very powerful players up front.
With an eye on Italy
Three Serie A teams could be Barça’s rivals in the next round of the Champions League. Their leader, the Inter de Milan, is the main threat, although it could also cross paths with Naples o to Laziosixth and tenth in the classification.
Inter appears as the main danger for Xavi Hernández’s team. Winner of the Champions League three times, and with Lautaro as one of the main reasons for him, he qualified second by drawing against Real Sociedad at the Giuseppe Meazza. Neither Naples, which was the league champion last season, nor Lazio have achieved their best version in the first weeks and they should not be a problem for the Catalans.
A rival to avoid
The French club has been saved by avoid premature removal in Champions. He was virtually out of the round of 16 during the last round, but he was able to turn the game around and secure his place in the playoffs. But his current situation in Europe does not prevent him from being a threat to Barça, since he has players of the caliber of Mbappé or the exazulgrana Dempsey. Furthermore, their performance has not been the same in Ligue 1, where they are still leaders.
Three ‘affordable’ options
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El PSV Eindhoven It shouldn’t be a complication for the Blaugranas. Although they are absolute leaders of the Eredivisie, with a total of 45 points in 15 games and without defeats for 31 games, they have not shown this superiority in Europe. An added incentive to this even crossing would be the rMeeting with two ex-Azulgranas, Luuk de Jong and Dest. They reach the round of 16 after holding off Arsenal with a draw in their last home game.
The possibility Copenhagen is simpler, third in the Danish Superliga and whose meritorious classification does not hide the fact that it has only won three of its last 16 duels in Champios. Leizpig should also be inferior to the Catalans, overshadowed by Manchester City in the Champions League, but which found no rival in Young Boys or Red Star.
2023-12-16 11:02:20
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