FC BARCELONA
Xavi Hernández post-match press conference after Atlético Madrid win in LaLiga Santander
The Catalan spoke to the press after Ferran’s strike sealed a narrow 1-0 win against Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou.
The sun was shining as FC Barcelona, in yellow, took on Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou in a game which would allow the Catalan side to put one hand on the LaLiga trophy and shake off the persistent Real Madrid talk about a potential upset. In the end of a tense game, it was a well-placed Ferran strike from the edge of the box that saw Barça take all three points and move further away from their title challengers.
The Barcelona boss, Xavi Hernández, had made the headlines in the run up to the fixture after he complained about his team not being used to playing in the sun. After the match, however, the weather was far from being at the front of his mind, as he was simply focussed on praising the team in what turned out to be a feisty encounter.
Xavi describes win over Atlético Madrid as “crucial”
“It was a very important win, a key win for us to be able to achieve the main objective, which is to win the league. We beat what are a great team in my opinion”, said the coach immediately after the game. Xavi was keen to point out the form that Atlético had coming into the game, as they were riding the crest of an unbeaten run that stretched back to January. “When you see them live, the players they have, they are great... They are in a great moment and they haven’t lost since we beat them. It was a crucial, crucial win for us.”
Unlike the game at the Metropolitano, Barcelona had the better chances, with Robert Lewandowski the main culprit for not increasing the lead, after he chose to shoot instead of square the ball to Raphinha in a 2vs1 in the second half. Barça won the three points, but they failed to put the game to bed, something which Xavi pointed out in the post-match interview: “We had the chance to score the second and we didn’t, which is something constant this season”, he said. The coach, however, was keen to point out that despite the lack of ruthlessness, his side deserved to win, calling Barça “the better team”.
Pedri and De Jong both feel good after returning to the team
The lack of goalscoring numbers will bring its naysayers, and Xavi knows that: “There are always critics”, he said. “The same will happen with the game today. It’s important to win, we had to. In my opinion, it was a great game on the whole, and the fans helped us. I am happy with the effort from the players.”
Two huge sighs of relief came from the crowd as the team sheet was announced: Frenkie De Jong and Pedri returned after being out with thigh injuries. The coach described how they felt and how he saw their performances: “Frankie was very comfortable and played well. Pedri changes the whole team when he comes in; everyone worked hard today and we didn’t concede. The mentality of the team to do that is important for us.”
One criticism that will undoubtedly rise to the surface once again is that of Robert Lewandowski, who failed to net in a big game and has not scored since the game against Elche on April 1. Xavi was not worried about the striker’s form, saying that “the goals will come. He’s not firing now but he was before and they will come.”
