Sergi Barjuan says Dynamo Kiev win can be turning point for Barcelona

Barcelona interim coach Sergi Barjuan thinks that Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League can be a turning point for the club.

Ansu Fati scored the only goal of the game to hand the visitors a crucial three points which puts qualification back in their own hands ahead of the final two games of the group.

Victory over Benfica next time out will be enough to send Barca into the last 16, and Barjuan thinks the win should relieve some of the pressure and give his team confidence.

“In the pre-game talk, as a culé that I am, I reminded them how important the game was for us,” he said.

“This can be an important turning point. This frees you, gives you confidence. Seeing the players you could tell that there was tension before the game and now I see relief in their faces.”

Barjuan also praised goalscorer Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele, who made his comeback from injury as a second-half substitute.

“We are a team. But a scorer like him [Fati] helps everyone do their jobs better. It’s vital that he’s got that vision of the goalmouth and how to put the ball away,” he added.

“We put him [Dembele] on earlier than we’d told him he would after so long out. But he makes such a difference – he plays at a different tempo, he’s very direct, he stretches things.”

Barcelona now face a clash against Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou before La Liga pauses for the final international break of 2021. The game could be Barjuan’s final match in charge with reports suggesting a move for Xavi is now close to completion.