Barcelona could take a big step towards accomplishing one of their main objectives for the season this Tuesday when they take on Shakhtar Donetsk in their fourth Champions League group stage match, needing only a point to guarantee mathematical qualification for the Round of 16 of Europe’s elite competition.
It would be the first time in three years Barça would take part in the knockout stages of the Champions League and the first time under manager Xavi Hernández, who couldn’t rescue the team out of the hole left by Ronald Koeman in 2021 and failed to qualify out of a tough group with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan last season in his first full campaign in charge.