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1 month ago
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It is no secret that the home advantage on the big UEFA Champions League nights can be decisive. After all, having fans behind their back is a massive morale booster for any team on the planet.
Barcelona, however, have endured a difficult record playing at home in Europe in recent years and the numbers speak volumes about their struggles.
Of the last 17 matches Barcelona have played at home in European competitions, they have won just five times. In comparison, they have lost and drawn six times each.
A run through the years
The Catalans’ poor streak at home began with a 3-0 defeat to Juventus in the group stages of the 2020-21 season in a game that sent the team to second place in the standings.
In 2021-22, the team suffered a poor start in Europe under Ronald Koeman and lost to both Bayern Munich and Benfica at home. Their only win in their fortress that year was against Dinamo Kyiv and they eventually were sent to the Europa League.
Looking for his first win in Europe with Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)Playing in the lower tier competition, the Catalans drew against both Napoli and Galatasaray in the home leg of their knockout fixtures before losing to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The subsequent year, they once again lost to Bayern Munich and drew against Inter Milan at home in the Champions League group stages. While they did win against Viktoria Plzen, they were once again relegated to the Europa League.
This time around, they played Manchester United and drew the first leg at home before facing defeat at Old Trafford.
Last season, Xavi’s men won three group-stage games at home against Royal Antwerp, Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Porto respectively. They once again defeated Napoli in the Round of 16 but a 4-1 defeat to PSG at home saw them knocked out.
Tomorrow night, they make their home debut in the UEFA Champions League against Young Boys and the objective will be to turn around the home curse and record a first win in the competition this season.
