Xavi: “Suffering but it’s the Champions League, it’s hard to win”

MADRID, 5 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The coach of FC Barcelona, the game.

“Many things have happened, difficulties. The first half has been quite good and the goal has come. In the second we should have controlled much more and we have suffered, it should not be like that. This is the Champions League, it is Europe,” he said in statements to Movistar Plus, collected by Europa Press.

The Barça coach insisted on this difficulty. “We are seeing results from other teams, that it is very difficult to win, especially away from home. The team makes an extraordinary effort. We do not play our best game, especially in the second half, suffering but it is the Champions League, and it costs a lot,” he stated.

Barça became the leader of Group H and Xavi explained that, although they will have to recover well for “another difficult start” on Sunday in Granada, the problems of Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo are not serious. “He felt bad, he had pain in his stomach. We suffered there with 10 men,” he said about the youth player.

The Uruguayan suffered cramps at the end of the game, while Robert Lewandowski, who had to be replaced after half an hour by Ferran Torres, has “a very bad blow to his ankle.” “Let’s see if we get everyone back,” he said.

“It was seen last year, everyone works, sacrifices, runs. It is a very good base. We have to improve in the game, it is Porto’s field and it is complicated,” he added, explaining his yellow card. “I always talk, I live the game. It’s my way of living it, it’s been going well for me, it’s difficult to change,” he concluded.