New Delhi, Sep 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) Barcelona midfielder Rodri has played down his side's status as favourites for the UEFA Champions League, despite their impressive start to the season, while insisting that the La Liga winners need to improve certain things to get in reach of the European glory.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have made a strong early impression, scoring 21 goals and conceding only four across their last five matches in all competitions. Their Champions League campaign has also started on a positive note, with the Catalan giants currently third in the league phase standings, behind defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
However, Rodri believes Barca still have work to do before they can be considered the team most likely to lift the trophy.
“The Champions League is possible, but I don’t think we are the favourites,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
The Spain international, who recently joined Barcelona after his spell with Manchester City, feels winning the Champions League would represent an important step for the club as it looks to return to the top of European football.
"I clearly see it as a possible title, and it is, if you can put it that way, that remaining step for us to establish ourselves and show Europe the nature of the team we represent. From this standpoint I don’t think we are the favourites, because we must understand where we came from and understand what it takes to be champions, and this team still needs to correct several things to become champions," he added.
Barcelona have not won the Champions League since 2015, when they defeated Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin. Since then, their European journey has included several disappointing exits and heavy defeats.
The Catalan side were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 in 2020/21 before suffering consecutive group-stage exits in 2021/22 and 2022/23. They returned to the quarter-finals in 2023/24 but again lost to PSG before reaching the semi-finals in 2024/25, where they were beaten by Inter Milan in a seven-goal aggregate thriller.
Barcelona’s 2025/26 campaign ended in the quarter-finals after Atletico Madrid edged them 3-2 on aggregate. Rodri believes his arrival, along with the experience of other senior players, carries an expectation to help Barcelona take that final step in Europe.
“Players like myself were bought for this purpose. I think the Champions League is not necessarily for the best team but a tournament of moments,” Rodri said.
“In the Champions League, you have to control the moments in the knockouts. Red cards, penalties, conceding goals. These are the things that define whether you qualify or not. After all, before you win, you must lose, and you must learn,” he added.
Source: IANS
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