Barcelona will face Bayern Munich in the second round of the Champions League group stage this evening at the Allianz Arena, with kickoff slated for 9 p.m. local time.

Xavi revealed his expectations for the game in his pre-match news conference yesterday, which aired on Mundo Deportivo:

“It will be a very intense game, we will both want possession of the ball and be aggressive at times too. We will try to dominate possession, which won’t be easy. They have a similar style to us: pressing high up the pitch, having the ball and we use young players who make a difference.”

“Last year we had a very bad time and I think that this year we can compete better. However, no matter how much I talk, we have to show it on the pitch. Whatever happens tomorrow, whether we win, draw or lose, the result will not be definitive,” he added.

He also recalled the speech he gave to his players following their defeat last season:

“That day I told them that this was Barça, that we had to show personality. I think we have changed our mentality, we have gained in personality and mentality. Obviously, high-quality players have arrived since then, but we have grown as a group.”



The Barcelona coach also spoke highly of Julian Nagelsmann:

“He is one of the top coaches, they are very good at a lot of things.”

GSFN