Xavi Hernández knows that Barça has a lot to play for against Eintracht and gave, in the run-up to the match, the recipe to try to play better than in the first leg and win. The coach was blunt: “We have to be better footballers,” he said, summarizing the needs of the Barcelona team to be in the semi-finals of the Europa League. Not losing the ball, knowing when to attack the spaces and overcoming his pressure up front, the three main keys.
Xavi explained that “we have to improve especially after losing, be neater, minimize its cons”. Why? Because in Germany where Eintracht did damage was in transitions, therefore, “we have to lose fewer balls and, when we lose them, be intense”. And he slipped that “the field will be better and we will no longer have that ‘excuse’, in quotes.”
“We have to lose fewer balls and, when we lose them, be intense”
For the technician, the recipe is “compete better, with intensity, you have to be better soccer speaking. In case there are leaks, stop them well. We have to start defending better with the ball and improve from there”.
He stressed that “we have worked a lot tactically” and repeatedly insisted that “you have to be more responsible with the ball and not have losses. You have to understand when to attack spaces. If they defend with five and a center jumps, a space is generated. And overcome their pressure up front well”.
“We expect a rival similar to the one in the first leg, they made life difficult for us with the losses and they come out very well on the counterattack”
Piqué’s alignment will depend on his feelings, it depends on how one feels. If he is not 100%, it is difficult for him to participate”. Y of the rival is clear which will come out with the same intensity as in Germany: “We expect a rival similar to the one in the first leg, they made life difficult for us with the losses and they come out very well on the counterattack”.
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explained what is fatigue for him mental: “It means that every match is important. If you look at the Europa League teams, playing on Thursday after Sunday it’s hard to win. It is difficult to activate to go play at the Levante field or at the Freiburg field. In each match, life is ours”.
Ultimately, you want keep the team going with his evolution: “There are many games in which he improves and we haven’t done anything yet, you have to be motivated, you have to get excited in every game: the Europa League is the title that the club doesn’t have”.
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