Porto chance for Barca to prove progress in Xavi’s 100th game

BARCELONA: After consecutive premature and humiliating Champions League exits, Barcelona visit Porto on Wednesday aiming to make a statement in their trickiest group stage fixture.

Xavi Hernandez´s side, five-time winners of the competition, have set their sights on returning to Europe´s elite, with that goal informing their transfer strategy last summer. President Joan Laporta sold off various parts of the club and a percentage of future television rights to fund a spending spree but the Catalans were left with egg on their faces after failing to make it past the group stage.

This summer the spending was far more restrained by necessity but Barcelona still managed to bring in Portuguese duo Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix on loan, as well as Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan to round out an impressive squad. Xavi has a group of players which should be strong enough to battle with the continent´s top sides, at least on paper.

The coach said Barcelona were concentrating on making it into the knockout rounds for the first time in three years, before setting any loftier goals. After two consecutive tough group stage draws, this season Barcelona had more fortune.

They waltzed past Belgian champions Royal Antwerp with a 5-0 triumph in their opener but Xavi was quick to acknowledge it means little in terms of their overall chances, given they also thrashed Viktoria Plzen 5-1 in their first match last year.