It is almost time for Barcelona’s deciding match and if they fail to win against Bayern Munich, all hope lies on Benfica losing to Dynamo Kyiv, which is highly unlikely. The Catalans are currently in the second position however, they messed up a few of their games in the group stage so they are just two points clear of Benfica and beating Bayern is the only way they can guarantee a place in the Round of 16. This is their last chance, the final countdown for them and if they are unable to beat the Bavarians, it will be the first time in history that they play in the UEFA Europa League, after the re-branding.
For newcomer Memphis Depay, losing is not an option and he is willing to give it all in order to take the Catalans to the next stage. In an interview with TV3, the former Manchester United player said,
"“It’s our last chance to advance to the next round and it’s like a final,”“We have to prepare very well mentally for the game and we will have to give everything to get the result,”"
Depay then went on to explain that their team likes to play in a more intense style where they like to put pressure on their opponents and take control of the ball throughout the majority of the game. That has always been the Barca style of play to dominate possession and push the opponents back however, now the team is not the same and Xavi cannot take the game to Bayern Munich throughout the entirety of the 90 minutes. Barca will have to play smart and hit the German side on the counter-attacks. It will be a very intense match and the Catalans must not allow Bayern to get the first goal. It is a do-or-die moment for them and all Catalan fans can do now is hope for the best.
Will Xavi’s Barca manage to beat Bayern?