Team News And Starting Line-Up

FC Barcelona must beat Galatasaray at the Nef Stadium in Istanbul to advance from the Europa League last 16 to the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Following a goalless 0-0 draw at Camp Nou last week where Xavi Hernandez’s men failed to score for the first time in 93 days with 16 shots going to waste, the Catalans will look to avoid extra time and penalties in a hostile ground that has often been described as “hell” with one eye on a meeting with Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday.

Reportedly scolding his charges at half time in the first leg for their drop in intensity that has often seen them soundly beat and score four goals against the opposition as of late, Xavi indicated that the keys to victory lie in working hard “with and without the ball”.

“It’s a final,” the coach said. “We cannot slip up, it’s all or nothing. We need more intensity than the first leg.”

“I did not like the first half,” he confessed. “We were better in the second half but not clinical.”

“Against Osasuna,” who the Catalans won 4-0 against on Sunday in La Liga, “we killed the game off early because we had intensity and quick ball circulation and it needs to be the same tomorrow,” Xavi noted.

“We didn’t do our homework last week and now we have to win away at a tough stadium, with fans that really support the team, some of the best in Europe. It’s the same situation as against Napoli,” he pointed out, with Barca drawing 1-1 at home and therefore needing a big result on foreign soil that came in the way of a 4-2 romp.

For Xavi, however, the pressure of having to get a result in order to keep their hopes of silverware this season alive is no issue. “I like it,” he said. “I am competitive, a winner. So are the players. These are the situations we like. It’s an opportunity. We came out of that Napoli game strengthened and we can do the same now.”

“The main objective to be back in Champions League but this is a European competition and we want to show we can compete in Europe,” Xavi highlighted, calling the Europa League “a great competition”.

Trying to keep Barca in it then will be Marc Andre ter-Stegen in goal supported by a back line of Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo and Sergino Dest.

In midfield, pivot Sergio Busquets will dictate play behind Pedri and Frenkie de Jong as Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang form the front line of attack.