Xavi spoke about the situation of Pedri, the duel of Vinicius and Araujo, the game plan against Madrid, Raphinha, and the adaptability of Araujo and Kounde in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Real Madrid.
Xavi on the game against Real Madrid:
“Madrid needs to win, they will be more attacking than usual. We on our side need to control the ball much better, we need to present our best version in order to win. If we win, it’ll be a very important victory. It certainly will not decide the league, though.”
Xavi on Pedri’s injury:
“These are matches where you need to be at 100%. If the feelings are not good, there is no need to impose anything. It is not a final match and there will still be 12 matches left, it is not decisive. We don’t want to lose Pedri for another two months.”
Xavi on the favorite team to win the game:
“I think it’s 50-50. We have our fans and they will support us, but I think the game is 50% for both teams.”
Xavi on the duel of Araujo and Vinicius:
“Araujo is physically strong and fast, he reads the opponent very well. He is a leader, aggressive, and a top-quality center-back. Having Ronald in the team is unbelievable. Vini is also a great player, he has a strong personality, too, not just Ronald.”
Xavi on the Negreira case:
“We talked a lot with Laporta. Everything he says goes straight to the masses. I don’t want to talk about it because a lot has already been said. We have to focus on the game against Real Madrid.”
Xavi on Raphihna:
“He is a footballer I like, he knows how to work and take criticism during bad patches. He has proven a lot already in his first year at Barcelona. I’m happy for him, he deserves this.”
Xavi on Raphihna not being called up by Brazilian NT:
“Raphinha is fine, he’s calm. We did not talk to him about not being called up to the national team. I can’t interfere with what’s happening in the Brazilian national team because it does not concern me.”
Xavi on the adaptability of Kounde and Araujo:
“We are lucky to have Kounde and Araujo, both of whom can adapt in different positions. Depending on the opposition player, we’ll see from where we can get the best out of the ball. It’s great that we can switch positions like that.”
