“The day of Lightning was not a disaster and today is not a maximum euphoria”
“Eric García could be captain perfectly with 21 years”
BARCELONA 28 (EUROPA PRESS)
The FC Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, highlighted the great work of the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, “a blessing” for the squad after adding his second consecutive double against Valladolid this Sunday, in the 4-0 victory on matchday three Santander League.
“Lewandowski feels comfortable, he has a great responsibility to come here and make a difference. He shows football maturity and talks to young people. He is a natural leader and a blessing to have him in the squad,” Xavi said at a press conference.
The blaugrana team exhibited their gunpowder in attack on a placid afternoon for the ‘culé’ fans. “By scoring the first goal in the 24th minute it gave us more confidence and more pause. Valladolid is a happy team, that dares, tries and we have been very good in the pressure after loss and in the circulation of the ball” , he added.
On the display of Raphinha and Ousmane Dembélé on the wings, the coach recognized that the Brazilian has “more capacity” to play inside. “Sometimes they also change positions. Today there were many passes to the winger and I have the feeling that we have to choose the last pass better,” said Xavi, who is “very happy” with the performance of both.
Regarding Eric García’s start to the season, the coach also expressed his joy at the good level shown in the three games played. “Having him in the team is a joy, he could perfectly be a captain at 21 years old. It is very easy to train him, very competitive, a professional,” he said.
He also referred to the debut of Jules Koundé, who played as a starter at right back, after his long-awaited entry into the competition. “He is a footballer capable of playing in the entire defensive line. He can mark an era, he has leadership, courage and a good way of getting the ball out. We have made a great signing”, he affirmed.
Alejandro Balde played on the left side, seating Jordi Alba again. “Balde plays because he is doing very well, he deserves it. If we talk about meritocracy, it is his moment, but there will also be moments for Jordi Alba and Gerard Piqué, who are not participating”, he admitted.
“From the day against Sevilla we play every three days and we will have to make rotations. It does not mean that they are substitutes, at some point they will be starters, this nourishes the team. Direct competition makes them better. They can be very important”, settled Xavi.
Finally, the coach described the meeting as “quite complete, but not perfect”. Along these lines, he stressed that the draw against Rayo “was not a disaster” and the win against Valladolid “maximum euphoria”.
“We have to be more forceful in the area, we have so many possibilities that sometimes it’s just raising our heads, but you have to have the talent and experience. They are still very young players, but I’m very happy,” he said.