Barcelona 0-0 Benfica: To Munich then, as Xavi's side impress but can't strike

Barcelona did not get the result they needed, yet 50,000 fans left Camp Nou wet, but happy. 

They need to go to Bayern and win now, barring a Benfica slip up at Dynamo Kiev, and they may end up in the Europa League, but something is building here, at long last.

The rain teemed down before kick-off, with supporters cowering in the back rows of the stands, looking for shelter. They found it in the restoration of their identity, a process well underway despite the mere moments Xavi Hernandez has been in the job.

Barcelona were a team with identity and ideas again, and, yes, a plan. Xavi lined up with a 3-4-3 formation, the kind with two pivots and two interiors, which he used often in Qatar with Al-Sadd.

It worked to great effect, with Barcelona’s midfield quadrant stringing together some fine moves and wowing the crowd, Nico and Gavi in particular.

The two youngsters, playing ahead of Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong, were at their finest.

However, despite their fine first half they didn’t create too many clear cut chances.

The best fell to Jordi Alba, played in by Nico, and the Spaniard fired at goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

At the other end Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a stunning save from a Yaremchuk header, and was beaten by Otamendi’s screamer, but it was ruled out after the ball had gone out of play.

Memphis was wasteful twice in front of goal, refusing to shoot with his left foot and being tackled before he could finish on his right.

Things stepped up a notch when Xavi put Ousmane Dembele on. The French winger was turbo-charged and created danger, but could not make the difference.

Haris Seferovic should have won it for Benfica at the death, through on goal he skipped past Ter Stegen but fired his shot off-target.

So Barcelona’s hopes in the Champions League are alive, just. But the club, the fans and their hope truly is coming back to life, after a few dark years.