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10 months ago
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With concerns mounting on the team in recent weeks, Barcelona managed to acquire three points against Alaves and did so by finding daylight on the score sheet.
With a fair few tweaks in the starting XI and an upturn in cohesion, Barcelona looked solid for the most part. And this win will be sure to elevate the morale of a team that has suffered considerably this season.
While Xavi’s future appears clear, the team has not decided to throw the towel in. Now, the coach will be aiming to build on this momentum.
Speaking in the post-match conference, Xavi gave his two cents on the match-up.
With desperate times calling for desperate measures, Xavi commented on the inclusion of Andreas Christensen as a pivot. Xavi remarked, “I’m happy with Christensen. He will give us discipline there, but because of his technical ability, he can play in the pivot position.”
“Christensen’s position gives us a lot of balance because he has the skill of controlling the ball, but you notice that he excels in defense and this helps us in monitoring.”
“I liked Christensen in the pivot position. With the ball, he can be very smooth, and he told me that he is comfortable, and this is an option that we are considering,” he added.
Lauding Barcelona’s performance, Xavi acknowledged an upsurge in maturity. “My feeling is that today we were a mature team, we controlled the game,” he exclaimed.
However, understandably, the coach was annoyed with the team’s lapse in concentration, which led to Samu Omorodion’s goal.
“The Alavés goal made me angry, conceding one minute after our second goal… It was time to win the duel on the wing, or make the foul because they won’t cross, I got angry; we had talked about it,” he said.
He added, “Winning is always positive and there are 2 victories after my decision to leave. I already said that it was necessary, and here is the team’s reaction. Today, finally, we have been more effective. The team has fought. We have been good with and without the ball. It was a good game that strengthened us.”
“Today we played in a very difficult stadium, against a very physical opponent and the only negative thing is that we conceded a goal, but I think the team competed very well and I am very happy,” he optimistically affirmed.
Vehemently opposing the referee’s decision to strangely hand Vitor Roque a second yellow card for an inconspicuous foul, Xavi iterated, “We are going to appeal Vitor Roque’s red card. This is a mistake!”
“There are a lot of refereeing decisions against us. I’m not just saying it, it’s an observation.”
Furthermore, Xavi brought up The Negreira case, arguing: “I think we are paying for the Negreira case… You have already seen it today. But I am not going to talk more about the referees. Another mistake again!”
Another worrying sight was Ilkay Gundogan’s substitution, who came off the pitch with a slight grimace of discomfort on his face.
Dispelling any doubts about a potential injury, Xavi explained: “There are no injuries today. Gündogan had a knock on his back, but it was nothing.“
He also added: “I replaced Pedri because he was tired. I’ve brought in Fermín to provide a little more legs to the team.”
Pau Cubarsi’s poise on the ball was once again a sight for sore eyes. Xavi made sure to give the youngster his roses as the youngster proceeded to belie his years.
“We were joking with Cubarsi… He seems to be a veteran, with his ball delivery and his aggressiveness in defense, and he doesn’t lose duels. I’m very satisfied with him.”
While Yamal could not record a goal contribution, the youngster was, as usual, a breath of fresh air with his incredible decision-making and composure, which Xavi did not leave unnoticed. He remarked, “Lamine Yamal is already making a difference.”
Giving weightage to the ‘generational talent’ shouts, Xavi acknowledged the rarity of his talent. “Lamine Yamal has it all. There are a few players like him.”
Ancelotti was asked today about Xavi’s comments about competition manipulation and he said that it was not of a professional level. When asked to share his reply, Xavi opted to not indulge in any back-and-forth bickering.
“No, I have nothing to say to Ancelotti, I have a very good relationship with him. Maybe he felt pressured by my words, but I really have nothing to say to Ancelotti. It’s all about him, all my respect to Carlo Ancelotti,” he responded.
Despite being sent off, Vitor Roque left his mark in the few minutes he had on the pitch, scoring in successive encounters.
“Vitor Roque is a goalscorer, he has good composure, he gives us depth, he has been very good,” Xavi said.
Highlighting Pedri and Gundogan’s advanced roles, Xavi mentioned Christensen had a role to play in liberating the pair. “I am very happy that they played in their position. Christensen’s presence helped us a lot in this matter.”
Source: Mundo Deportivo
