After a tremendous start to the 2012-13 season, Barcelona has been anointed with the status of favorites to win the Champions league in 2013. The team will be without head coach Tito Vilanova, but may also be without another major leader in the midfield.
Xavi Hernandez has suffered a hamstring injury and could be out of Wednesday's matchup against AC Mila in the Round of 16. Interim Coach Jordi Roura stated that "We hope that he'll make it but we'll see how things develop."
Xavi is the mastermind behind Barcelona's dominated possession game. Despite his injury, the veteran 33-year old has been vocal about the matchup with the Italian giants. "We have to compete," Xavi stated. "Milan aren't just any old team. They have players that are strong defensively - tough and with a lot of talent. They a great team, with seven European Cups."
Despite the threat the Milan poses, Xavi knows that his team is the favorite to win the tournament after a decisive 20-2-1 start in the Spanish league. "We accept we are the big favorites for the Champions League. Having so much expected of us is a lot of pressure, but at the same time, we accept the challenge," said Xavi.
Despite the favorite status, Barcelona won Group G in the opening round with some difficulty. The team took down Spartak Moscow 3-2 after trailing 2-1. Barcelona managed a 2-0 win over Benfica despite being out chanced. In their first game with Celtic, the Spanish side was frustrated by the Scottish defense but squeaked out a victory thanks to a last second goal from Jordi Alba. However, the luck would run out in the ensuing battle as Barcelona would lose 2-1 to Celtic. Barcelona regained its form with a dominant 3-0 win over Spartak Moscow and ended the group stage with a 0-0 draw against Benfica.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
