Barcelona has not yet been able to secure a winter in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. Xavi’s team, who made his European debut as coach of los Azulgrana, did not go further than a goalless draw at home against Benfica (0-0), which thus continues to hold two points less than the Spanish top club: five to seven. In two weeks on the last day of play, however, Barcelona will visit the still clear Bayern Munich, while Benfica will have to win at the already eliminated Dynamo Kiev and at the same time hope that the Germans fulfill their sporting duty.
Barcelona dominated in a wonderful and intense first half, in which the lack of one or more goals was the lack. Xavi saw how his players had a high ball circulation and regularly appeared in front of the goal area of Odysseas Vlachodimos. The best opportunities from Barcelona were for Ronald Araujo, Jordi Alba and Yusuf Demir. Vlachodimos was attentive to the attempts of the first two and got away well a few minutes before half time when the aluminum prevented Demir’s opening goal.
This hunch from Demir was so extraterrestrial that the connection was also broken. ?? #UCL pic.twitter.com/wWrOZSQ1H8
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) Nov 23, 2021
Benfica had a short phase in which Barcelona was somewhat pushed back in their own half, but that did not yield anything for the team of trainer Jorge Jesus. Marc-André ter Stegen turned a header from Roman Yaremchuk after a corner and a brilliant goal from Nicolás Otamendi, a hard bet in the left cross through the bottom of the bar, was rejected because the ball had crossed the back line after the previous corner.
In the opening phase of the second half things went less smoothly at Barcelona. The viscous game meant that Xavi’s team struggled to reach Vlachodimos’ goal area, although the home team could have been ahead 1-0 after less than an hour of play. However, Memphis Depay chose not to shoot directly, allowing Otamendi to help his goalkeeper.
Finally an attack from Barcelona that leads to a great opportunity. Frenkie de Jong does not get the ball headed against the ropes. #UCL pic.twitter.com/9vT65YrB6w
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) Nov 23, 2021
Barcelona looked a bit tired and Xavi opted for the entrance of Ousmane Dembélé instead of Demir. Not much later, the Frenchman created a good chance with an excellent action on the right: Vlachodimos saved a header from Frenkie de Jong from close by. The Catalans then kept pushing, but Gilberto defused a dangerous cross from Dembélé in the mouth of the goal and an Araujo goal was disallowed for offside. In extra time Gerard Piqué headed wide and Haris Seferovic on the other side missed a dot of an opportunity. Barcelona, where Luuk de Jong did not come in again, awaits competition matches with Villarreal (away) and Real Betis (home) before the crucial game with Bayern is completed on Wednesday 8 December. In a tie between Barcelona and Benfica, the Portuguese will spend the winter, who won the first mutual game 3-0.