Barcelona woke up just in time against Frankfurt

The Europa League cannot hide the failure of the Champions League campaign. That Barcelona are playing in the second level though, is only a minor issue for a team that four months ago were sunken in terms of football and morale. It hurts to see how Madrid have a foot in the half of the Champions League semis, and Villarreal go toe to toe with Bayern. And even that Atletico have hopes of a comeback at home against Manchester City. It hurts because Barcelona should be in this big group. And maybe the current Barcelona, Xavi’s, could fight for the Champions League.

They just smashed Madrid at the Bernabeu, admittedly without Benzema, and put four past Atletico. But the dismal first third of the season has left them in this position. Barca still have to go for it with the maximum ambition. And it will put them in the European Super Cup too, as well as guaranteeing them around 20m euros. All decent prizes.

Xavi is sure of that, Barcelona have to win the Europa League. The team, of course, too. But it won’t be easy and Thursday showed that. Eintracht Frankfurt showed they are a very aggressive team and rapid on the counter, taking advantage of any concession of possession to attack Ter Stegen’s goal. Barca lost pique to injury and felt uncomfortable at the back. However they got to the break goalless and there was a lot to correct for Xavi.

And he did it. Knauff’s golazo set them back but Dembele and Frenkie de Jong came on and changed everything. They and Ferran Torres invented the pinball equaliser and awoke a Barcelona who were taken aback by Eintracht’s intensity. The draw is not a bad result. But they will have to be a lot better at Camp Nou to go through.