Sant Joan DespíNot long ago, before a decisive match, the debate was whether Ronald Koeman would play with three central defenders and whether the team’s approach would be more offensive or rather scary. With Xavi the debate is over. Despite the injuries, despite the almost borderline situation against Benfica, in a game in which the team cannot afford not to win if it does not want to see compromised the options to move to the round of 16 of the Champions League, the new Barça coach wanted to send a message of optimism. “I don’t know if we are better than Benfica. This has to be shown on the pitch. We are not in a moment to take heart, but we have to be optimistic and think about winning. Be positive, brave and go on to win. We already know that the reality is that we lost 3-0 there and it will not be an easy match, but it is a challenge and I love challenges “.
Xavi, who has defended feeling “privileged” to be the Barça coach, does not want to give up the halo of optimism that accompanies him: “I’m doing well at the moment”, he said, jokingly, about the expectation that his signing has represented. The coach debuted winning, but it was a struggle fought and suffered. “I’m more than satisfied. The other day we were very good, except for the last ten minutes, in which then Espanyol was better than us. It will be a very complicated match against Benfica: they have a coach experienced, they are a very physical team and they have fast and powerful strikers. This is the Champions League, but we are ready to compete and win to qualify for the round of 16. ”
The coach, who has refused to talk about scenarios in which the team does not achieve victory – “I only think about winning, this is what I have been taught at Barça” – has reiterated his desire to play with open ends. despite the large number of injuries to the team. “We have a couple of training sessions left before the match and we will see how Dest, Roberto and Dembélé are.” The Catalan was discharged in the last game, while the American has not fully recovered from the low back pain that drags nor Dembélé, who has not recovered from the elongation to the semimembranosus of the whose left thigh fell earlier this month. Xavi did not want to rule them out, but their presence is not guaranteed. On the other hand, if there are no last-minute setbacks, Busquets, Nico and Mingueza will be there, despite the fact that they ended up playing on Saturday against Espanyol. The coach ruminated on the puzzle of the bands, in which he did not rule out the options of Coutinho and Demir.
Xavi also spoke about the defensive line and did not say if he will repeat the pair of central Eric-Piqué or if he will open the door to a more physical center, like Ronald Araujo: “Ronald is very important for us even if he did not play on Saturday “I also have Lenglet and Umtiti. I think we have five level midfielders. Playing one or the other will depend on how we want to defend and attack,” said the coach. Of course, he made it clear that for him it is “vital to defend with the ball”: “Especially if we manage to get ahead on the scoreboard.” “For me, as a coach, the most important thing is that my team has the ball. That we have patience, be on the opposing field and know how to play with the scoreboard as well,” he insisted. And that’s why he doesn’t need rocky or very physical midfielders either: “To recover balls, in the way we play, you don’t have to be two meters tall and weigh 85 kilos. This depends on the model we want to play with. and for me it is not necessary to have very strong players physically, although we also have physical midfielders: De Jong, Nico, Busquets … But Pedri is also fed up with recovering balls, for example. Iniesta? How many balls does he recover? It’s important to know how to be in place. ”
“Personally, Xavi was the man”
Jordi Alba also valued Barça’s current affairs before the momentous match against Benfica. The winger wanted to remember the work of Ronald Koeman remembering the Cup they won “when no one expected it”, but he celebrated the arrival of Xavi. “Personally I think he was the man. The coach who had to come. He knows the house and I am convinced that we will go up. We have high morale after winning the derby and we want to go further. Starting against Benfica, which is a final “. Alba explained some of the changes with the arrival of Xavi: “We are doing very fun training, but also very demanding. There have been changes, but I do not want to detract from the other coaches and workers who have been with us before. The most It’s always easy to get the coach out, but the players are also to blame. it will be a sign that things are going well “.
With the new coach, Alba knows he will have to play with an open end in front of him. A factor that may condition his performance, although the footballer has denied it. “I feel just as comfortable with one end open or the other going inside. I’ve been playing for Barça for many years and you know I’m a player who likes to join the attack. to know how to select when to attack, but it also depends on how the game goes, how the opponent is and what the boss asks me to do “.
