Barcelona plays its last game tomorrow before the break due to the World Cup in Qatar. Xavi appeared to give his impressions on the match he awaits against Osasuna and also on the draw for the playoffs of the Europa League, in which Barça has been paired with Manchester United. The coach could not avoid an ironic smile when asked about the matchup against the English and recalled that in the Champions League group stage they had also been dealt the most difficult rivals. “The lottery has given us the toughest opponent again. We will have to compete. It is a historical rival that has grown with Ten Hag, with great players. He is the worst rival that could touch us, he is cruel », he began by explaining.
The man from Egar refused to speak of favoritism in a duel like this, which must also be played within three months. “It’s stronger, compete, the players will be motivated… it’s historic, is a great rival, a priori it is the most difficult”, he pointed out to highlight the illusion that wins the Europa League, a competition that the club does not have in its showcases: “There is always a rival, who also has the obligation to gain. Like us. we will go to compete and we will analyze Manchester. We will try. The club has never won the Europa League.”
One of the incentives will be the reunion with an old rival: Cristiano Ronaldoas well as with casemiro. During his time at Real Madrid, they were two of the players who most unnerved the Catalans fans: «United have great players. I would single out the group. Ten Hag has done a great job and we will study it. They are both great teams », he pointed out, throwing balls out, although he denied that the Portuguese was already in decline: « He seems to me a great player, who has marked an era and can make a difference yet”.
It has now been a year since Xavi came to the Barcelona bench and made a brief assessment of what he had experienced: “It is not easy being a Barça coach. I got along pretty well, I knew the challenge. It is one of the clubs with more noise in the environment. We get along fine. The goal is still to win titles. Last year it was about tidying up, this year it’s about winning titles », he pointed out. And he added: Last year we spent the last half year, the situation was difficult but we qualified for the Champions League. The notes are put at the end. A positive balance, the team is growing. The results will dictate want to think that we are on the right track«.
There were also references to the match against health tomorrow: «It’s an important match, when you don’t win it’s always negative. We have put up some sensational numbers in LaLiga and tomorrow is the key to fighting for the championship until the end”. The man from Egar insisted: «Tomorrow we have an intense, difficult opponent who does things well. Interesting things in attack. At home they are strong. We arrived in good shape, in good dynamics.” And he ruled out that the players are thinking about the World Cup and don’t want to risk it: “If you don’t go one hundred percent, that’s when you get injured. We will go out to the fullest, to put on the working overallsThey are physically strong and it requires intensity.”
