Barcelona find themselves on the cusp of Champions League redemption, with a golden opportunity to secure their passage to the knockout round set for Hamburg, where the Spanish champions are poised to face off against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Barcelona's journey has been fraught with heartache in the Champions League group stage over the past two years, but a fourth consecutive victory in Group H could mark a turning point.
Their last taste of such a streak dates back to 2021, when they encountered Kylian Mbappe's Paris Saint-Germain in a dramatic last-16 clash that saw them exit the competition.
Certainly, the arrival of Xavi as their coach in November of that year has brought a measure of success, culminating in their La Liga triumph last season.
However, the European stage has remained elusive, leaving fans yearning for the vintage Barcelona flair that once dazzled the footballing world.
There have been glimpses of brilliance, such as the resounding 5-0 victories over Real Betis in La Liga and Royal Antwerp in the Champions League in September.
Yet, the consistency has eluded them, much to the chagrin of both fans and their esteemed coach.
A prime example of this inconsistency was their encounter with Shakhtar in October.
Despite dominating the first half, Barcelona failed to seal the deal and endured a nervy finish as the Ukrainians pressed for an equalizer.
This uneven performance echoed in their La Liga Clasico just three days later, as Jude Bellingham's stunning double propelled Real Madrid to victory after Ilkay Gündoğan's opener.
It left Xavi pondering the mysteries of football, admitting that self-critique was in order.
In contrast, Barcelona managed a 1-0 win against Real Sociedad last Saturday, even when they seemed to be on the back foot throughout the game, conjuring little in terms of attack.
It was only Ronald Araujo's stoppage-time winner that salvaged the day. Xavi summed it up by saying, "Football sometimes is inexplicable."
Xavi's brand of football is a far cry from the dazzling era under Pep Guardiola or even the swashbuckling performances that led them to Champions League glory in 2015 under Luis Enrique's guidance.
While Xavi acknowledges that dominating in his playing days may be a thing of the past, he remains resolute in his pursuit to emulate their predecessors.
However, the lackluster performance against Real Sociedad is deemed "unacceptable" by the coach.
He emphasized the need for intensity and declared, "To win, and win not playing well, is something a champion team does."
The return of midfielder Pedri, who had been sidelined since August, is seen as a potential boost to Barcelona's fluidity.
Xavi believes that Pedri's presence will breathe new life into the team's dynamics, offering a ray of hope.
Robert Lewandowski, who made a return from an ankle injury, has yet to regain his sharpness and the prospect of returning to Germany, where he excelled with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, could provide the ideal platform for a resurgence.
Furthermore, Xavi might contemplate shifting away from the three-center-back formation, which has been employed recently to ease defensive responsibilities on Joao Cancelo, a promising Portuguese right-back whose defensive prowess has yet to match his attacking flair.
As Xavi continues to search for a reliable system, the puzzle of assembling Barcelona's best lineup when everyone is fit remains unresolved. An abundance of central midfielders and emerging talents like Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez adds to Xavi's selection dilemmas, albeit in a positive sense.
By securing qualification on Tuesday with two matches to spare, Xavi could grant himself valuable time to fine-tune his tactics for the more demanding challenges that await Barcelona in the later stages of the Champions League.
