Barça look to get their place in the last 16 of the Champions League on track against Shakhtar

After the valuable triumph in front of the Athletic with goal of the debutante Marc Guiu and before the classical of the next Saturday, the FC Barcelona will have to fulfil with some duties in the Champions League. The ones of Xavi Hernández will confront this Wednesday to the Shakhtar Donetsk in the Olímpic of Montjuïc (18:45 hours), expecting leave the classification for the eighth of final very advanced of face to the following day.

By the moment the culés add six points in two parties after golear to the Amberes and win by the minimum in Portugal in front of the Port wine. The Ukrainians, that are third in the table with three points after losing in front of the Carry and win to the Amberes, will be the rivals of the Barça in Europe in the next two parties and represent the perfect opportunity so that the Barcelona club ensure his presence in the round of the 16 better after two seasons without achieving it.

Treating of a key duel, many would expect to see to the best possible team on the field, but the reality of the technical body of Xavi is very far of that afterwards that in the previous press conference the egarense explained does not have foreseen to recover to any of the six lesionados. The míster egarense will follow without explaining in another party with Koundé, Sergi Roberto, Pedri, Lewandowski, Frenkie of Jong and Raphinha.

The drops of the Barça are an important point, but no an excuse

Any of the six Barcelona players trained this week with the group and in fact only a pair seems to have real options to arrive to the Classical of the Saturday. Besides, Xavi neither will be able to have Gavi, sanctioned after being expelled in Port wine in the last minutes by double yellow card. By all these situations, the Barça has less than 15 footballers of the first team and regarding midfield and attack the options for the XI are very limited.

Thus the one of Terrassa will not be able to save almost at all for the party against the Madrid, although it seems that some less usual footballer, as Marcos Alonso, will be able to allow that a key name, as it is the one of Balde, remain in the bench in front of the Shakhtar and can reserve to confront to the merengues. What yes seems clear is that the culés know of the importance of the triumph this Wednesday, a result that would allow to the team 'relax' regarding Europe for the next two weeks.

The Barça has to show the superiority of his staff and idea of game

And it is that treating of a rival, in the accessible paper, the ones of Xavi need to add other three points like venues and besides begin in November knowing that with only a victory more in the following three parties of Champions the eighth would be in his hands. For this the performance of key players like Ferran, Joao Félix or Gündogan has to be the highest possible, remembering of course that the work in defence has to be perfect.

The return of the society between Araújo and Christensen in the centre of the defence, because of the injury of Koundé, could represent some goals to zero for the Barça and more after the achieved in front of the Athletic, by what front the Shakhtar does not seem to have a stage in which this milestone did not go something very positive. It is worthwhile to remember equally that Xavi will want to avoid any type of injury or annoyance of another player of the staff, especially of face to the next Saturday.

A party that asks a victory in the first minutes

It is thus that does not have to surprise neither question that the team try to close the party the sooner possible, even with the backrest of Xavi, so that some headlines that comes playing almost everything, as I Cancel, Gündogan or Joao Félix can seat in the bench around the minute 70 and like this begin to think in the Classical, again in Montjuïc.

Exposing all this context, and adding besides that the Ukrainian club arrives in the middle of a change of trainer, does not seem to exist any reason so that a distinct result to the triumph was not cataloged like an enormous trip. Although it remains a lot I walk the culés do not have too margin for especular, especially if they want to have a calendar something less demanding between November and December.

Technical index card of the party: FC Barcelona-Shakhtar

• Party: FC Barcelona-Shakhtar
• Competition: UEFA Champions League
• Stadium: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Barcelona)
• Television: Wednesday, 25 October from the 18:45 hours (6:45 PM CEST)
• Calendar 2023-2024: LaLiga, Glass of Rey, Champions League and Supercopa of Spain.