Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!
![The Fiver | Barcelona and Benfica, two European giants down on their luck](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e090fd57326ecb7fa3dcfc79a0f9323e92da263c/0_24_5882_3528/master/5882.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=1c5d2bab7115dd16728badaeb57c37ec)
It’s fair to say Xavi could have asked for an easier start to life as
Barcelona manager. First up in the league at the weekend was the derby – although, yes, admittedly Espanyol enter into these affairs with about as much chance of claiming local bragging rights as, say, Red Star
Paris, 1860 Munich or Everton – and now comes a crunch Big Cup tie that could make or break their season.