Barcelona celebrated the victory against Villarreal, which leaves them eleven points behind Real Madrid, although the white team has one game less, which they will play this Wednesday against Elche. “Very complicated because the Villarreal He plays you one on one, he doesn’t give you anything and he pressures you. We generate chances, although we do not materialize them. We missed the last pass and when you don’t do it you end up suffering. Back to the same. But it is an important victory in the fight for the League », he began by explaining Xaviwho recognized that Setién had surprised him with the approach: We expected Chukwueze from the beginning but Setién has added one more midfielder. They have generated little, we are very dangerous to sentence but it has not been like that. In the end, three very important points”.
The coach was satisfied to finish the game without conceding goals: «We try to work high pressure so that the opponent does not come out and we are getting profit. Today the victory comes from there.” And he added: «The first defender is Robert Lewandowski. If those above give the high intensity to defend… Again a clean sheet. We are leaving Villarreal without dangerous situations and happy. The man from Egar justified the reason why he took so long to make the changes: “We are fine in physical appearance. We needed paisa in the opposite field, but I have seen the team well and that is why the changes have come late »
Quique Setien He did not put buts to the defeat, although he commented that the tie would have been fair, apparently on the pitch. “We knew in advance that we were up against a great team and that it is in a good moment. They are in a moment of inspiration and everything he does turns out well. The assessment is that perhaps a draw would have been faireralthough it must be recognized that in the first half they had a very good thirty minutes in which they beat us and we had to defend with many difficulties”, explained the Cantabrian.
Setién valued his former team: «Barcelona has improved a lot in the game without the ball. It is the team that runs the most without the ball. In the first part it was difficult for us to get out with the ball. Finally, he tried to play down the importance of the bad streak that he has accumulated, with three defeats in a row: «These three defeats do not distance us much from our intentions, which is to be up there. This changes overnight. We lost but we played a good game and this shouldn’t affect us.”
Ronald Araujo He was one of Barcelona’s most outstanding players, disrupting almost all of Villarreal’s chances. «Very happy for the victory because we had to win today. This court is always difficult and the opponent very complicated. Happy to help the team in defense or attack when I go up to shoot. It is important to add the three points and leave the zero concierge», began by explaining the Uruguayan, who highlighted the fact that the team has kept a clean sheet in 16 of the 21 games they have played: «We are working very well. It was something that we had to correct last year, when many goals were scored against us and it was difficult for us to leave a clean sheet. We are very good. Also the midfield that closes the spaces. However, Araujo believes that we have to be more successful facing the rival goal: «We have to close the game when we have the opportunity to score the second. When you’re 1-0, you end up going backwards because the opponent thinks they can tie. Very happy for the win.” And he valued the league leadership: «You have to keep winning, do our thing and not look at what the rest are doing. We are on a good run.”
Alejandro Balde I was also very satisfied: Very happy. The job has been done well. In the first half we had a little more control and in the second it was crazier but Villarreal was up front, which is a great team. Araujo is a beast and we are very happy to have him in the team. There is a big difference points with Madrid but we will try to carry on as before”.
Foyth he also valued the match. «The feeling is that we gave everything until the last minute. We played one-on-one against Barcelona, which this year is far superior to everyone else in the league. We created chances for them and we were able to win until the last minute,” explained the Villarreal player. «When things are not going well you have to work but I am convinced that we are going to get up and we are going to fight for the top positions, “he added. And he commented on the complaints towards the arbitration for the offsides indicated: “We only ask that the referees let the play finish, although they are human and it is also normal that they can be wrong.”