Barcelona chief claims Panathinaikos clash is vital to Champions League hopes
Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta claims that the La Liga champions' clash with Panathinaikos in Athens on Wednesday 24 November is crucial to his side's hopes of success in the UEFA Champions League this season.
The Catalan giants are at the top of Group D with eight points claimed from four games. However, they are yet to confirm their place in the last 16 of the competition.
With Copenhagen lying a point behind and just two games still to be played, a victory is essential for Barca in helping them to finish in the top spot and avoid playing another of the group winners in the first knock-out stage.
Therefore, Zubizarreta told Spanish publication Sport it was important that the players had their full focus on Wednesday's game and were not distracted by the upcoming El Clasico fixture against La Liga title rivals Real Madrid on Monday 29 November.
He said: “The Champions League is vital for us and therefore this match is very important in terms of the classification, for first place is important in this competition. The team is able to focus clearly on what is important. The match against Almeria
is a good example; if you get lost in the league, it is difficult to perform in the Champions League.
"It is true that since we started in the league, everyone seems to be waiting for El Clasico, but without all the games before and after, it would not matter.”
If Barca wins and Copenhagen loses or draws against Russian outfit Rubin Kazan on the same night, then they will progress into the next phase of the tournament as group winners and steer clear of the likes of Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid at the
last 16 stage.
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