FC Barcelona returned from the international break with a draw against Rayo Vallecano, which will see further pressure getting piled up on Xavi Hernandez.
However, the Barcelona head coach cannot be blamed too much in these circumstances, as the team is missing important starters like Gavi and Marc Andre Ter Stegen, while others like Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are only returning to get back to their best shape.
Still, the team will have to find a way to get results even in the absence of these important players and do not have too much time to come up with solutions as another crucial match awaits them on Tuesday.
Barcelona will be facing Porto in the Champions League group stage in this match, and if they are able to win it, the Catalans will make their way to the knock-out rounds of the competition.
If the team is unable to win this match, a lot will depend on the result of the match against Royal Antwerp, and this would be a scenario that Xavi will be looking to avoid. These issues of injuries and their season prospects have been discussed by Xavi in his press conference before the Porto match.
The main highlights of this presser are as follows:
Match against Porto
Xavi started the press conference with optimism regarding the match against Porto:
“Hopefully, we’ll have a magical night. It’s a match where we can qualify as group leaders. It’s a crucial match.”
The Barcelona head coach hinted that there will not be a lot of changes to the team’s approach in this game, despite not getting results in the last few matches:
“Things, in general, aren’t going our way, but upon watching the Vallecas match again, I believe it was good. We lack some continuity. We need to play more minutes like in the second half against Rayo or the 60 minutes in the Clásico. The team is united, and there’s no issue.”
Xavi also praised the Porto coach, and also conceded that winning this match against the Portuguese side would be a stern test for his team:
“He has a very well-worked team, a group that presses a lot, a team at a high Champions League level. We suffered in Porto before. We had a good hour. Many things happened to us. Lamine had to go to the locker room, Gavi’s expulsion… They are a very strong opponent, a very important test for us.”
Ter Stegen is still a doubt for the Porto match, and Xavi updated the press about the German’s physical condition ahead of the match:
“Tomorrow, he will be tested to see if he’s at one hundred percent. He has barely been able to train. But he’s one of the captains and is with the team.”
Xavi asked the fans to be fully behind the team for this match, as this support is needed even more than in normal times because of the poor form and all the injuries:
“It’s a crucial match. We have a lot at stake. The fans should know this and support us as they always have. It’s very important that they are with the team.”
Team’s problems
Xavi took this press conference to highlight the major issues being faced by the team, which need to be solved as soon as possible. However, he was still a believer in the team’s abilities to turn things around
“We only react when there’s an urgency, usually in the final minutes. We need to be self-critical, but it’s part of the process. The players are comfortable with the system, and tomorrow could be a turning point. It’s the opportunity to qualify for the Round of 16 as group leaders.”
Difficulties faced against high pressing were identified as one of the main weaknesses for his team by Xavi”
“The diagnosis is clear, and we’ve communicated it to the players. We’ve failed in high pressing, after losing possession, in intensity, and in mentality. We’ll play again and get results. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. I’m the first to believe, and we will do it again.”
Xavi also highlighted the main improvements that need to be made by the team to improve their form:
“We need to start games more focused. We’ve given away a lot this season. We have fewer points in the league than last year, but we’re doing better in the Champions League. In the league, we must give away less.”
“We are the Spanish team that generates the most. It’s key to take the lead in the score. If we don’t, we’re not as comfortable. It undermines confidence. When the opponent takes the lead, it becomes more complicated. We need to refine and improve this.”
The urge to keep on winning was another attribute that Xavi wanted his team to show in the coming weeks and months
“The most challenging thing in sports is winning after you’ve already achieved it. I admire athletes who feel this urge to win. We have to be competitive beasts. We only reacted the other day when we were losing 1-0. Tomorrow, we have to go all out.”
Despite these problems, Xavi did not believe his team was going through a crisis at this point in time:
“Here, there’s always talk of a crisis if you don’t win. You have to win always. It’s the demand. There are always criticisms; it’s normal, and accepted to improve, to be more decisive, to have a more positive and winning mentality. Barcelona demands the utmost.”
Xavi also took this moment to reiterate his belief in the team:
“We’ve done it before. The same players from last year have performed well in tough matches. Therefore, we have to believe that our game will return, and results will come. Tomorrow, we can qualify for the Round of 16. It’s a final, and we cannot fail.”
“I am the one with the most faith in the team. It’s a ‘remember’ of what I experienced as a player.”
However, despite this belief in the team, Xavi shared that he is still very critical of the players and demands a lot from them privately:
“I am very critical with the players, in videos, talks. We have to demand a lot from ourselves. We’re not at the level we were a month and a half or two months ago. We have to push harder, regain intensity, and a winning mentality. We’ve shown it. Now, we’ve dropped a bit. We need to be more humble, generous, more compact. And starting from tomorrow.”
Xavi refrained from pointing the finger at the referees for his team’s poor results, but still admitted that some of the decisions have harmed his team in the last few weeks:
“It’s evident that with more points, we would be more at ease. We’re not lucky, I said it in Vallecas. It’s not an excuse. I don’t hide behind excuses. We have to play better, but it’s also true that some refereeing decisions have harmed us.”
Support from the club
Xavi has been under constant pressure in the last few weeks, as the team has not been able to get the expected results. However, Xavi mentioned that he still feels the confidence of Laporta in himself, and has a good relationship with the top brass:
“I feel one hundred percent confident. I have a good relationship with the president and Deco… I say ‘amen’ to the president. I’ve already said it. I feel his confidence. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be the first to say so. But let me try.”
“I don’t feel alone because I have the trust of the president and Deco. I have a staff that believes in me and loyalty. And players who are giving their best. Last year, things weren’t going well either, and in the end, it turned out fine. For all these reasons, I believe things will turn out well.”
The head coach also claimed that the pressure always remains high at Barcelona, and every match and tournament is important for the club:
“This is Barça. We have a lot at stake. Results will shape the course of the season. In a month, the Supercopa arrives, and you’ll ask me the same. Nothing changes. It’s the pressure of Barça. We want to compete in the best possible way. We have a lot at stake tomorrow. It’s a hugely important match for the competition.”
Source: SPORT
