MADRID, 7 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The RCD Mallorca coach, Javier Aguirre, warned this Thursday that “it is never the best time” to face FC Barcelona, a team that has “improved a lot” and obtained “better results” since Xavi Hernández’s announcement to leave the Barça team. at the end of the season, so it will be “a complicated game” for the vermillions.
“It is never the best time to go to the Barça field to score points, no matter how much we come from two good results. They have improved a lot, or at least they have had better results, since Xavi announced his departure. It caused some positive reaction in the team “, analyzed the Mexican in the press conference prior to the game against the Catalans this Friday (9:00 p.m.).
The Mallorcan coach also praised Xavi Hernández for his work leading Barcelona. “He seems to me to be a very good young coach to take on the responsibility of directing a great club like Barça. The position has not weighed on him, and he has accepted his mistakes when he has made them. He has been brave, and is the League champion. and is fighting again for the League and the Champions League,” he praised.
“It’s going to be a complicated match, but the latest results have strengthened us and motivated us to compete. I expect a different match from the first leg, we will go to compete as we always do and, if we are lucky, we will continue adding,” he noted.
The Mallorca coach is confident that Barça will not rotate players in order to arrive with more energy for the Champions League second leg against Naples next Tuesday. “They are fighting for the League and the Champions League, and against Naples they have a favorable result. I get the feeling that they are not going to prioritize either of the two games,” he said.
Regarding the losses of Xavi’s team, Aguirre stated that there have been years when he thought he could “get his hands on” Barça and ended up conceding four goals. “I wouldn’t dare say he’s vulnerable,” he defended.
“It is true that he has injuries, but you see players like Cubarsí or Lamine Yamal who, because they are young, are not going to compete any worse. Barça, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, since ‘Cholo’ has been there, have always been very hard to beat,” he explained.
Regarding the moment that Mallorca is going through, the ‘Basque’ confessed that in the last few games they are working “well” in both areas. “Both in San Sebastián and against Girona we did not allow a goal. We scored little, but we scored a lot of goals last year. Now we are scoring more and we are failing more. We have much higher goal expectations than last year. In that sense the team “He has won, but he needs to be more accurate in that last third,” he added.
Aguirre confirmed that Valjent and Maffeo will be out, along with the suspended Omar Mascarell. “Copete we have doubts about him, and we will wait until the end to see if he starts or goes to the bench, because he has fatigue and some contractures,” he said.
Finally, the Mexican coach spoke about his renewal. “We have not talked at all about the future, and we do not have to do so in March. Things have their rhythms and times, and I am very calm, very happy and busy with the team reaching a successful conclusion,” he concluded.