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9 months ago
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Barcelona swung back to winning ways last night after securing a narrow 1-0 victory over RCD Mallorca.
It was a hard-fought victory for the Catalans, who were not the most productive team in the attack and had to rely on a magical goal from Lamine Yamal to seal all three points.
Speaking to the press after the game, Xavi highlighted the team’s lack of productivity, stating, “We still lack effectiveness in front of goal. We created 4 or 5 chances against a team that barely concedes chances.”
“I suffered today, yes. Same story all season. We created enough chances to win by more than one goal,” he added. “Scoring the penalty would have completely changed the match. Our effectiveness has cost us again.”
However, Xavi went on to commend the team’s performance, particularly when it came to creating chances and keeping the opposition defence at bay.
“We created a lot of chances against a team that doesn’t concede many of them. We were calm and patient,” he said. “We played a solid match against a well-prepared opponent. It’s very difficult to attack their 5-3-2.”
“Our defensive feelings are very good. We have improved a lot in this aspect, that’s how we’re winning matches. “Mallorca were equal to us a lot of the time because Aguirre prepares his teams very well,” the Spaniard further added.
The difference maker of this game was surely Lamine Yamal, who made things difficult for the opposition defence with his quick feet and a box of tricks out wide. He also scored a wonderful goal in the second half to seal all three points for Barcelona.
Yamal’s performance even left Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre to compare the youngster to none other than Lionel Messi.
But Xavi opted to hold back on those comparisons, stating, “I think they should not be compared. Anyone will lose when compared to Messi. We’re talking about the best player in the history of this sport, he should not be compared.”
Xavi holds back on Messi comparisons for Yamal (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)“It does not benefit Lamine Yamal when you compare him to Messi. It’s true that he has Leo-esque flashes, but it’s not good for him. It’s better to not compare them,” he added.
The Barcelona coach went on to defend the player and heaped praise on his performance against Mallorca.
“I haven’t seen any negative opinions on Lamine’s importance for the team yet, but surely they will soon start. ‘The 16 year olds are carrying the team.’ But no, there hasn’t been anything negative yet.
“Nobody should say anything negative regarding Lamine Yamal, but here you always criticize players to praise others. Lamine was not having his best game but he made the difference,” he said.
Another young player who impressed on the night was defensive prodigy Pau Cubarsi. Xavi hailed the young Cubarsi after the game, stating, “Cubarsí is playing like a veteran and he’s making a difference. He is spectacular. He’s ready for the highest level.”
“Cubarsí is very smart. He knows how to win duels, it’s spectacular. It doesn’t feel like he’s 17,” Xavi added.
The Spaniard also praised Vitor Roque’s performance in the second half, adding, “Today Vitor Roque had an excellent half an hour. He was excellent in duels and created spaces. Little by little he will get minutes.”
Moving on, the Barcelona coach confirmed that there were no fresh injuries from this Mallorca game. He even praised the team for playing well without the services of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
“You can tell that Frenkie and Pedri are missing but we did well,” he said. “I don’t think any player was injured today. There are no injuries, no suspensions, and we deserved to win.”
When asked about Raphinha’s substitution, Xavi responded, “Raphinha’s substitution was for precaution. It was just a blow, in principle he’s not injured.”
Finally, Xavi talked about Barcelona’s form and the upcoming game against Napoli while also suggesting that Barça are still not out of the race for the league title.
“Today’s win boosts our morale ahead of an important match on Tuesday. The team is in solid shape ahead of our match on Tuesday,” he said. “The team has improved since I announced I was leaving. We’re still in the race for the league title.”
The Spaniard was notably seen viewing the Napoli game on the night. He confirmed that some of the Barcelona analysts were keeping track of the game.
“No, I could not watch it, but some of our analysts were keeping track of the result and some situations that we had to consider. But yes, we had to do that because Napoli is our next rival,” he said.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
