After losing two points in Mallorca and seeing snapped a six-game winning streak, five in the League including the Champions League, Barcelona host Sevilla, the current Europa League champion. Xavi Hernández considers that “the team is on the right track” despite the draw, insists that Mallorca’s biggest mistakes are in concentration and defends the importance of rotations: “They are very necessary.”
It is clear, regarding the objectives received at Palma, that “we need to be more concentrated. When we analyze why we didn’t win in Mallorca, I don’t agree that it’s because it was difficult for us to overcome the defense of five. We created six scoring chances and that was difficult. Therefore, the problem is defensive, but not only from the defensive line, but from everything: pressing, being well positioned… in attack we improved, but in defense we have to fix things. It’s a matter of being structured, of being well located. And also don’t attack before counting or many unnecessary losses.”
Even so, he claimed the fine line of the team: “We won’t generalize either: we had two fantastic days against Betis and Antwerp and everything seemed perfect, but not everything was perfect. “I think we are on the right track,” he concluded.
The technician he distanced himself from opinions who hears or reads: “I feel that I often disagree with many people’s evaluations and this is respectable. I have to study behind closed doors what is going on. “I don’t waste time on what sensations there are outside, but mainly inside, with the players and the coaching staff.”
Balsamic victory
Looking forward to the next games, he knows that “it’s very important to win. Here at home a tie is an alarm”. His conclusion from Mallorca: “We have to attack better, but we didn’t play a bad game. From here, we have to improve what we can do.”
defend the need to rotate: “We understand that the physical issue is fundamental, rotations are very necessary. How many teams in Europe have so many injuries? The football player must be protected and also in this way everyone involved feels. “They are very necessary.”
Looking forward to the match against Sevilla, “I have a feeling I need to go back to success. They are a difficult team, current champions of the Europa League, who gave City a lot of trouble in the Super Cup. They are a rocky team, strong in body, who know what they are playing in Mendilíbar, with direct football and on the wings. We need the atmosphere that is being created at Montjuïc and to get back to the victories.
He knows the strange feeling of playing on Friday: “Thursday is a recovery day. Two days after the game the punches came out. And on Saturday we compete again. “That’s why rotations are necessary.”
He explained why does Lamine need to be “protected”.: “He’s 16 years old, it’s a physical issue, and in some moments you can tell he’s 16 years old. In soccer you don’t just play with the ball at your feet, you have to do something else without the ball, chase the opponent… There are issues with the physical load, the minutes… That’s what I’m talking about. , but not the other thing (lack of maturity) ”.
He remembered Rijkaard’s management of Leo and that the Argentine “also had injuries. We have to play carefully with Lamine: physical load, minutes… knowing that he must help us in many moments of the season.”
AND praised Raphinha’s reaction after her two games of the penalty for his dismissal at Getafe: “He is a very demanding and very professional person. He trained well; like Ferran Torres, he came out at 200%. “Raphinha’s reaction was right”
Asked about the embarrassing pressure of Real Madrid TV On the referees, he said “I wouldn’t give an opinion about RealMadrid TV, if we were Barça.” He also doesn’t want to talk about the ‘Negreira Case’ and about the impending fight with Sergio Ramos and Pepe is not afraid of the physical integrity of his defenders. He is complimentary with the competitive longevity of Ramos and Jesús Navas: “They are playing at the first level at the age of 37 and that has a lot of merit, it says a lot about their competitiveness.
“Girona is no surprise”
He also referred to the sensation of the moment, the leader of Girona: “He has a lot of merit. This is not a surprise: they have been working like this for many years, they went down and continued with the same plan. “This is a long-term project , this is not a surprise.” Regarding those on loan, he commented that “Pablo Torre participates less, but we are very satisfied that Eric is playing, also with a goal.”
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
