MADRID, 7 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of FC Barcelona, to achieve the “goal” of being in the round of 16.
“It has been complicated for us by our mistakes. That corner that we gave away, we suffered a little there. The first half was very serious, dominant, and we failed, once again, to put the game away. The lack of effectiveness,” he said in statements to Movistar Plus, collected by Europa Press.
“We were good in the first minutes of the second half, we made it 0-2 and it seemed like the game was doomed and these games always get complicated. They were extra motivated, very aggressive, and in the end it was more difficult for us than necessary,” he added.
The Barça coach kept the result although the team got much worse in the second half after pushing in the first. “The result was positive, many moments in the game and we are in the round of 16, which was the objective,” he stated.
“Lack of concentration, specific errors in a very controlled match, generating many chances. The disallowed goal was not offside. We gave away more than necessary and that is why we suffered more,” he added.
Furthermore, Xavi referred to the injury of Iñigo Mártinez, who reappeared after a month of recovery, with barely 10 minutes on the field. “I think it was the other leg, he was frustrated,” he said, waiting for the medical tests to find out the defender's problem.