BARCELONA: Barcelona midfielder Gavi admitted Tuesday the Catalan giants can be beaten despite not suffering a single defeat in 2025.
The Spanish league leaders have not lost in the last 22 games across all competitions and host Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday (April 9) in a Champions League quarter-final first leg clash.
For the first time in years Barcelona are among the favourites to lift the trophy, which they last claimed in 2015, and are in the fight for a potential quadruple.
“We’re having a spectacular season but we don’t feel invincible, it’s football, you can’t always win,“ Gavi told a news conference.
“We have to play with humility in every game and remember where we came from, that’s the important thing, to keep our feet on the floor and go game by game.
“There are still a lot of games to go and we want to win as many titles as possible (but) we have to go game by game.”
Barca coach Hansi Flick has switched between Gavi, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo, currently injured, in his attacking midfield spot.
Spain international Gavi, 20, is known for his work-rate and ferocious attitude, and the midfielder lashed out at critics who doubt his quality on the ball.
“It’s true that people say that I don’t know how to play football, but they don’t have a clue,“ said Gavi.
“That’s the truth, I can understand it, it’s football, everyone can think what they want and that’s fine.”
Gavi returned from injury in October after missing almost a year with a severe knee injury.
The midfielder said he was having a good season in that context, even if he has not been a key player for Flick.
“It’s true that I’m not having such an important role as in other seasons, but that’s normal after I came back from a long injury,“ added Gavi.
“I am very happy with the recovery I’ve had, and if you told me I would have this season when I got back from injury I would have taken that.”
Flick said his team needed to work hard to progress against Dortmund.
“I’ve always said that we’re allowed to dream, but here we need to keep two feet on the ground,“ said the coach.
“It’s important that we know that what we have achieved (so far) has been through a lot of hard work and a lot of preparation.
“We don’t want this to be the end, we’ll see if tomorrow we’ll be able to give our all like we have in these last matches.
“We haven’t lost a game yet this year — we want to keep it that way.”
– ‘Can’t prepare completely’ –
Dortmund lost 3-2 against Barcelona in December in the group phase under Nuri Sahin, before Niko Kovac was appointed in January.
The German side have won three of their last four games and Kovac believes his team can shackle Barca’s star forwards, Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
The trio have excelled as Barcelona have shone this season, scoring the most goals in the competition with 32.
“We’ve prepared very well, looking at each of those players, but they do so many different things in every match that you can’t prepare completely,“ Kovac told reporters.
“I think if as a whole team we are well positioned and defend well, then you can defend successfully against those players.”
Last season’s runners-up Dortmund were dealt a blow on Monday as central defender Nico Schlotterbeck was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
“It’s a great shame Nico is hurt and can’t be there because he was excited to play,“ added Kovac, who insisted his team could do the job.
“Barcelona are the favourites tomorrow,“ he said.
“(But) we’re in a good moment, Barca have to come to Dortmund and we will have chances of going through.”
