BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona coach
Xavi Hernandez said on Tuesday
his team had to try and beat Bayern Munich this week even if their Champions
League fate is already sealed by kick-off.
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The Catalans
could be eliminated if Inter Milan beat Czech minnows Viktoria Plzen at home
before they face Bayern on Wednesday.
“We’ll watch
(that game) on television all together in the dressing room,” said Xavi.
“Regardless of what happens in Milan, we have to show that we can compete.
“We are
extremely motivated to show we can compete with them, we will go out with the
same intensity we showed against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao. We have to
match them.”
Barcelona have
only won one of their first four Champions League matches and were beaten 2–0
in Munich in September despite putting in a good performance and creating
several chances.
The German
champions have beaten
Barcelona each of the last five times they have faced
each other, including 8–2 in Lisbon and two 3–0 wins last season in the group
phase.
After heavy
summer expenditure, including signing striker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern,
Barcelona had hoped to be able to demonstrate they could challenge for the
Champions League.
Xavi said he
would not change the starting line-up to rest key players if Inter won and
Barcelona were knocked out.
“I have already
decided the team,” he said. “It will only change if there is an injury or
problem, it’s not related to what happens in Milan.”
Barcelona were
knocked out in the group phase last season and dropped into the Europa League,
where they were beaten by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the
quarterfinals.
“If in the end
we wind up in the
Europa League we will go out to compete like lions and try to
win it,” added Xavi.
“I am always positive,
but when it’s no longer in your hands, you aren’t so positive, it’s logical,
it’s human.”
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