Downhill in the shoot as it is in LaLiga, Barça will travel to Kiev this Monday with panic. Their future is at stake in the Champions League, a competition in which the club has budgeted 20 million income for reaching the quarterfinals, in a situation of extreme weakness. First, football. Koeman’s departure did not solve anything the first day, to the point that the Barça team was not even able to beat Alavés. The lack of punch and talent haunts a Barça that, in addition, has an alarming plague of casualties. Also, of weight players.
The last to fall have been Piqué and Agüero. The center-back has a soleus injury in his right leg, a classic in veteran footballers. The Argentine gave a scare with an episode of “chest discomfort” and underwent a cardiological study. Piqué and Agüero they join very important casualties such as Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Araújo and Sergi Roberto, who will not be able to play in Kiev except for some pleasant and unexpected surprise with the Dutchman or the Uruguayan. This Sunday, Sergi Barjuan will know if he can recover any element. And with the unknowns of Ansu and Dembélé. The first, who was substituted in the Classical due to a problem in his right knee, the non-operated one, was theoretically reserved against Alavés to reach the Ukraine match. The second should have already entered a call. If he went to Kiev, however, he would not be able to play many minutes.
The fact is that Barça, with football doubts, interim coach, and low human capital that force him to finish a League match with Abde and Balde, will play it in Kiev under minimums and with a team that could be made up of Ter Stegen; Mingueza, Eric, Lenglet, Alba; Busquets, Nico, Gavi, Dest, Memphis and Coutinho. Sergi has no more. If anything, pull Luuk de Jong taking into account that the game will not be at the Camp Nou where the fans have chosen him as the focus of anger when, it is obvious, he is not responsible for all the evils.
If Barça lose in Kiev, they would be in last group position, even outside the area that makes the Europa League fall. A draw would leave him two points ahead of Dynamo Kiev. He would have to wait for the result of Benfica in Munich. If he is able to win and the Portuguese fall to Bayern, they would have the opportunity to resolve their qualification at the Camp Nou. But Barça, who have not been in a Champions League group stage for 21 years, have not yet reached that screen. He’s in the panic for Kiev.