Barcelona eye victory in Xavi’s 100th game

Xavi Hernandez

After consecutive premature and humiliating Champions League exits, Barcelona visit Porto on Wednesday aiming to make a statement in their trickiest group stage fixture. Xavi Hernandez's side, five-time winners of the competition, have set their sights on returning to Europe's elite, with that goal informing their transfer strategy last summer.

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President Joan Laporta sold off various parts of the club and a percentage of future television rights to fund a spending spree but the Catalans were left with egg on their faces after failing to make it past the group stage.

This summer the spending was far more restrained by necessity. Xavi has a group of players which should be strong enough to battle with the continent's top sides, at least on paper. The clash will be Xavi's 100th game as Barcelona's coach, during which time he has won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, but come up short in Europe.

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