FC Barcelona have been in a slump as of late, and even the arrival of new manager Xavi Hernandez has not yielded immediate results. Nevertheless, the new head coach does not think that they will require a miracle to beat Bayern Munich in their must-win UEFA Champions League match on Wednesday.

Unbeaten Bayern Munich are sitting on top of Group E with 15 points from an undefeated run in the competition so far. On the contrary, Barcelona have found themselves in a precarious position in second place. If Benfica collect three points against Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 6, then Barcelona need to win against Bayern at the Allianz Arena in order to advance.

The Germans have been unstoppable so far, and Barcelona have failed to put one over the Bavarian side for a long time. Earlier this season, Bayern schooled Barcelona 3-0 at the Camp Nou. Last year, no one can forget the 8-2 thrashing that Barcelona received at the hands of the Germans.

Despite all this, Xavi remains optimistic. "It's in our own hands and we'll give it everything we've got. After the game, we'll see," he said ahead of the match. "I don't see it as a miracle. It's one game and we can beat any opponent."

Of course, it only makes sense to face the match with a positive attitude. Xavi knows that they have to come in with all guns blazing and he is under no illusion that it will be easy. "[On Wednesday] we have a test against an opponent who have been better than us in our last meetings," he admitted.

Of course, if Benfica stumble against Dynamo Kyiv, then Barcelona will get a free pass to the next round. Xavi knows this, but does not want to rely on another team's results. "I want to think that it's more important to rely on ourselves than on others," he said, as quoted by Marca.

Barcelona have never defeated Bayern Munich in Germany, making the task at hand even more daunting. Xavi assured his players that he is there to help them, and they should not let the pressure get to them.

"History says we have never won in Munich, but history is there to be broken. I'm looking forward to it," he concluded.

Xavi Hernandez
Xavi's Barcelona need to beat Bayern in their last group game to be sure of qualification AFP / LLUIS GENE