It seems that the tension and expectations at FC Barcelona never seem to take a breather. This coincides rather poetically with their schedule, given that they are not given any breaks on that front either. However, Barcelona now have an idea in mind to make the most of February.
January itself was a rather taxing month, and the start of the year could not have been bumpier. First came the deafening defeat at the hands of Real Madrid as Barcelona stumbled in the Spanish Supercup. Then, not too long after, Athletic Club eliminated the Catalans from the Copa Del Ray.
Moreover, the injuries did not help much either. That list continues to grow and worsen, while players continue to return at a much slower rate. For Barcelona, February now provides some much-needed rest to the Catalan giants.
However, even the second month of 2024 has its own objectives laid out by Barça. As per SPORT, the Catalan giants are aware that their best bet at a title this season that is still in their own hands is the UEFA Champions League. Accordingly, they want to make sure that they use the month to train in advance for Napoli.
On the 21st of February, La Blaugrana will be taking on Napoli over in Italy for their first leg in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Until now, this year has forced Barça to play a game almost every three days, with little to no time for tactical analysis and adjustments.
Now, with only two games scheduled to take place before Barcelona travel to Naples, Xavi wants to take advantage. The club has already studied the signings made by Napoli to strengthen themselves, and La Blaugrana are studying how to deal with their tweaks gradually.
With La Liga looking like a difficult mountain to climb, a lot of focus shifts towards the Champions League. Even though Barcelona acknowledge that they are not favorites in the competition, it is still a strong belief that they can make the most of it. Xavi’s tenure comes to an end in the summer, and the least the team can do is make sure they take every advantage they can get.
