Barcelona's chances of progressing to the Champions League knockout stages are extremely low after a goalless draw against Benfica on Tuesday.
The Catalans need an away victory against Bayern to guarantee passage to the Round of 16. While getting three points in Munich is not impossible, we Barca fans should not despair if Xavi's side fails to do it and drops to the Europa League.
Here are reasons why playing in the Europa League in the spring could be a blessing in disguise for the Catalans.
1. A chance to win trophy
I don't know a single Barca fan who thinks this Barca side is capable of claiming the Champions League title. If you are one, I'm sorry but you're probably deceiving yourself.
There are too many teams better than us in the competition. We can get to the quarter-finals, maybe even semi-finals if we are lucky. But lifting the title is absolutely out of the equation with Barca's current state of affairs.
But you can't celebrate reaching a semi-final. You don't throw a party, don't parade the streets of the city in a team bus when you've reached a semi-final. You do that if you win something.
The Europa League gives Barca a chance to win something tangible, an actual cup, add a trophy to their collection. It would also be a perfect start for Xavi's first season in charge of the team.
2. Taking pressure off Xavi
Playing in the Champions League entails facing the biggest teams in the world and it hasn't been ending particularly well for Barcelona lately.
We've got hammered by Liverpool, Bayern and PSG in the past few years and we certainly don't want Xavi to experience that in the first months of his time at Barcelona.
Imagine the Madrid newspapers slamming Xavi and comparing him to Koeman or Valverde if Barca suffer a defeat akin to the one we got against PSG last year. Imagine all the fake rumours about the club considering sacking him.
A big defeat against a team like Chelsea or City would open Pandora's box that could negatively affect Xavi's first season in charge of Barca. It could even affect his confidence in himself and his players—and it's better we avoid this in the early stages of Barcelona's rebuild.
3. Chance for youngsters
The level of competition in the Europa League is relatively weak, at least before the quarter-finals. Barca are likely to be able to field a weaker side while still advancing into the latter stages.
Xavi would be able to give game time and invaluable European experience to youngsters like Demir, Abde and Akhomach.
And at the same time, senior team players like Dembele, Memphis and Aguero—who hopefully would be fit in spring—would not be subject to a risk of injuries.
4. Platform to build upon
Some fans see the Europa League as the Champions League for losers. But this stereotype makes zero sense if you take a look at the 'smaller' competition's winners over the past few years.
Chelsea won the Europa League in 2019. In two years, the Blues claimed the Champions League title.
A year before Chelsea's EL triumph, Atletico lifted the trophy. Flash forward three years and Diego Simeone's side wins La Liga.
Neither Chelsea nor Atleti are 'losers'. If Barca win the Europa League, they can use this triumph to inspire a successful 2022–23 season.
