Barcelona host Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday (2:30 PM ET, EXCLUSIVE ONLINE STREAMING here). The Catalans, who fully deserved the 3-0 defeat in the first leg, will have to once again fight for a miraculous comeback in front of their home fans.
Luis Enrique’s men must try their utmost to pile up the pressure from the initial whistle and score an early goal if they are going to have any chance of qualifying for the semifinals. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and the rest of the Barcelona stars must ensure they use the whole width of the pitch and constant ball movement in order to open up spaces within the Juventus back-line.
Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta seemed to be up for the challenge during his pre-match press conference: “We have the potential and the players to turn it around. We have to play a perfect game. We have to create the maximum number of chances and score goals. I have no doubt there will be a great atmosphere tomorrow—the fans will be behind us. Another comeback? It’s complicated, but if we can get close and create uncertainty in our opponents, the team will have a chance.”
“We suffered a tough loss in Italy, but we’re potent; we can sow doubt in our opponents and try to turn the tables. We need to be offensive-minded and create chances. There is only one way to read it. We have to score goals; we need them. Mentality is key from the opening minute. We have to score goals, and the earlier, the better.”
Personally, I believe a comeback is possible given the quality of the players at Luis Enrique’s disposal. Having said that, the team must go all out from the moment the ball starts rolling in terms of intensity, effort off the ball and generosity with each other when in control.
If Barcelona’s recent form is to be considered it is hard to be optimistic about the upcoming clash against Juventus. Their midfield has struggled significantly particularly whenever Luis Enrique has been unable to field Iniesta or Sergio Busquets. Ivan Rakitic has been far from his best lately and, with Rafinha out due to injury and Arda Turan and Denis Suarez not having truly proved their worth, it is safe to say that Cules are right to be worried about the heart of their team.
To be honest, the main reason why the team’s poor results of late have not been worse is mainly Messi’s brilliance in front of goal and Suarez’s determination to push his teammates on. As Iniesta explained, the key to success is more based on self-belief than tactics — and that is why the Camp Nou must push their men to victory.
Will you be watching the game? If so, tune in to our exclusive Barcablog streaming to watch the game online, on mobile or on TV — You certainly don’t want to miss out!
