Xavi: “Madrid is the favorite”

Xavi Hernández was very clear about the example he wants to follow in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals: “Our example of the Super Cup and the League day at home. This is the image we want to give”, he said in the run-up to the second leg of the Cup semifinal. He continues to consider Madrid as the favorite despite the 0-1. The coach of Barcelona He sees his team’s motivation despite winning the last three classics: “We are hungry for titles, with many players who have recently debuted and there are not many,” he said.

He wants a match to appear like “the Super Cup and the League at home. This is the image we want to give, but there is a rival ahead, the current champion of the League and European Cup, who can dominate you. We’ll see how it turns out, it won’t be easy despite the result of the first leg”. Despite De Jong confirmed missing, Xavi said that “our plan will not change. Regardless of the fact that we are playing with a natural midfielder on the wing, that does not change. Not having Pedri lets us down, but it doesn’t change our strategy or the result of the first leg or the casualties, we want to win the game”.

Also, he doesn’t know what Madrid will do, but “we worked on different aspects. They always come up with new things, but we know each other so well that there are surprises. I’d be surprised if they changed the script. They know what they are doing and they do it very well. I hope they will be aggressive and look for us”.

explained why Madrid believes that He was a favourite: “When Madrid played us in a double game, I felt it was very difficult. They haven’t lost a two-legged tie for a long time that’s why I said they were favourites. They were very difficult. Madrid come and can beat you completely. They are still better, they are still the favorite, but we will try to be better than them. We are already in the League and the Super Cup, we are not in the first leg of the Cup”.